<
https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/09/europe-will-go-it-alone-on-venus-mission-after-nasa-yanks-radar-instrument/>
"The European Space Agency is moving “full steam ahead” with development of a
robotic mission to Venus after NASA officials determined they were unlikely to
fulfill a commitment to provide a US-built radar instrument for the spacecraft,
the mission’s project scientist said.
The European orbiter, named
Envision, will map the Venusian surface at 10
times higher resolution than the last radar mission sent to Venus by NASA in
the 1990s. The planet is enshrouded in a blanket of thick clouds of sulfuric
acid, rendering its mysterious surface unseen by optical cameras in orbit.
Radar is the most effective way to penetrate the clouds of Venus to reveal the
terrain below, and scientists will use Envision to look for signs of active
volcanism.
NASA and ESA signed a memorandum of understanding in 2024 outlining their
partnership on
Envision. NASA agreed to supply a US-made synthetic aperture
radar instrument,
Envision’s primary means of mapping the surface of Venus,
along with providing tracking and communications support through NASA’s Deep
Space Network. In exchange, ESA would include US researchers on Envision’s
science team. Europe would build the
Envision spacecraft and the rest of its
science instruments and provide the launch on an Ariane 6 rocket.
But NASA’s budget for science missions is under the gun from the Trump
administration, which proposed slashing the agency’s science funding nearly in
half in fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Congress rejected most of the cuts in 2026,
when lawmakers passed a budget with $2.54 billion for NASA’s planetary science
division, far above the White House’s request, but about $220 million shy of
last year’s funding.
That saved several key science missions from the chopping block, including one
of NASA’s own Venus missions, called DAVINCI, designed to send an entry probe
into the planet’s crushing atmosphere. But the shortfall is forcing NASA
managers to make tough decisions. The primary targets for cuts in science are
NASA’s funding for operating missions, especially those well beyond their
original design lives, and support for partnerships on international missions."
Via Kenny Chaffin.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
