Earth's Harsh Sister: Why do we Need to Study Venus
For a long time, Venus has attracted the attention of scientists much more than Mars when it came to the search for extraterrestrial life. However, after a series of Soviet space missions, the optimism of researchers has noticeably decreased — the harsh conditions of the planet have shown that life here is unlikely. For a while, Venus was even excluded from the list of potentially habitable worlds. Today, interest in the "Planet of Storms" is returning: First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said on March 10 that after exploring the Moon, Venus will be the next object of Russian exploration in the framework of deep space exploration programs. About how the missions will take place and what the study of the planet can give humanity is in the Izvestia material.
Why did Venus attract scientists?
On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov made an unexpected statement: Venus will be the first planet that Russia will explore after the Moon as part of deep space exploration. According to him, the choice of this direction has deep historical roots.
"Back in 1970, our country was the first in the world to successfully land a spacecraft on another planet in the Solar system — and it was Venus. Therefore, we will most likely move in this direction first. And then we'll see how successfully the assigned tasks will be fulfilled," he said in an interview with the Scout magazine.
Manturov stressed that the implementation of such ambitious projects will require significant resources and non-standard engineering solutions, and he sees a special role for talented young people who are able to offer fresh ideas. In addition, the first Deputy Prime Minister said that Russia, together with its partners, solves the issues of energy supply to the scientific lunar station.
Interest in Venus has been returning in recent years not only in Russia, but all over the world. According to Oleg Korablev, Head of the Department of Physics of Planets and Small Bodies at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, it is associated with fundamental scientific issues and new hypotheses.
— From a scientific point of view, Venus is unique for comparative studies. It is close to Earth in size and mass, and the conditions of its formation were apparently similar. At the same time, the modern parameters of the planet are radically different: a dense atmosphere, a temperature of about 465 °C and a strong greenhouse effect make it an extreme environment. In this regard, a natural question arises: how did the greenhouse effect on Venus move into an unstable, uncontrolled phase? — says Korablev.
Another area of interest is related to exoplanets. Among the thousands of discovered planets in other stars, there are objects that resemble Venus in their characteristics.
"In this sense, it becomes a kind of natural laboratory: by studying the atmosphere, climate processes and geology, scientists get the key to understanding how similar planets can develop in other star systems," adds Korablev.
The return of interest in Venus is also associated with discussions about possible life. Pavel Shubin, a cosmonautics historian, author of the book "Venus is an Indomitable Planet," and an engineer at the Russian Academy of Sciences Research Institute, notes that new hypotheses have emerged after reports of the possible detection of phosphine in the Venusian atmosphere, a potential biomarker used in the search for life on exoplanets.
— It is important to understand that so far this is just a hypothesis, nothing more. There is no evidence of this to date," says Shubin.
Nevertheless, the discussions stimulated the emergence of new projects for missions to Venus in the United States, Europe and Russia, including the Russian Venus D project, which has been working on for quite a long time: scientific equipment is being created, instrument layouts are being worked out and engineering developments are underway.
How will the exploration of Venus affect humans?
The study of Venus is important not only for science, but also for understanding the long-term prospects of humanity. According to Oleg Korablev, Venus is an "extreme variant" of the evolution of an Earth-like planet.
— As the Sun evolves, the Earth in the distant future — billions of years from now — could theoretically transition to a state similar to today's Venus. Therefore, studying this planet helps to better understand the long—term fate of terrestrial planets," he explains.
In addition, studies of Venus provide a key to understanding exoplanets, many of which resemble it in size and characteristics. Studying its atmosphere and geology helps to assess how similar worlds may develop outside the Solar System, as well as to identify conditions potentially suitable for life.
Hypotheses about possible life in the cloud layer of Venus add interest in the applied aspect.
— Theoretically, some forms of microbial life could exist there. Despite the harsh surface conditions, at an altitude of about 50-60 km, the pressure and temperature are already close to Earth's, which opens up the possibility of creating balloon scientific platforms or even "floating stations" in the planet's atmosphere. Of course, these are still concepts of the distant future, but they give an idea of how the exploration of Venus can affect the development of life support technologies and space infrastructure," Korablev notes.
According to Pavel Shubin, Russia's plans to return to the study of Venus should be perceived as part of a future strategy, and not as an emergency turnaround of the space program. The Venus D project and the preparation of scientific equipment show that interest in the planet is maintained and can develop, while providing experience and technologies that will be useful in the future for deep space exploration.
The technological difficulties of exploring Venus
Venus remains one of the most difficult planets to explore. The main reason for this is the extreme conditions on its surface, which create serious limitations for space technology. As Pavel Shubin explains, the problems are related to temperature and pressure.
— There's about 100 atmospheres of pressure. To be clear, a pressure of 100 atmospheres roughly corresponds to a depth of about one kilometer in the Earth's ocean. And not every submarine can dive to such a depth," he explains.
In addition, at the temperature that stands on the surface of the planet, almost no modern electronics can function for a long time. In previous missions, this problem was solved using cooling systems and sealed enclosures, but this significantly complicates the design of the devices and limits their operating time on the surface.
The situation is complicated by the composition of the atmosphere of Venus. The planet is surrounded by a dense cloud layer containing sulfuric acid and other chemically active compounds, which requires the use of materials resistant to aggressive environments.
— Projects of balloon stations that could be located in this layer of the atmosphere are sometimes discussed in the scientific community. However, the atmosphere of Venus consists almost entirely of carbon dioxide and does not contain oxygen, and the clouds are largely composed of sulfuric acid, so it is premature to talk about any permanent human presence there," the expert continues.
In this regard, the main task for future missions remains the development of technologies capable of withstanding the extreme temperatures, pressure and aggressive atmosphere of Venus.
What missions to Venus are planned?
At the turn of the 2030s, several missions to Venus are planned at once, which can significantly expand our understanding of this planet. According to Oleg Korablev, the DAVINCI and VERITAS projects are being prepared in the USA — an orbiter and an apparatus for exploring the atmosphere during descent. The European Space Agency is planning the EnVision mission, and India may launch the Venus Orbiter Mission even earlier. China is also considering projects to study Venus, including the possible return of samples of matter from the cloud layer or atmosphere.
According to Korablev, a whole series of expeditions will probably go to Venus in the early 2030s, and the Russian Venus D mission should take its rightful place in this program.
— The purpose of such missions is primarily fundamental science, not the practical exploration of the planet. In theory, it is possible to imagine balloon platforms or balloons in the cloud layer, but it is premature to talk about resource extraction or the permanent presence of humans on Venus, the expert emphasizes.
Pavel Shubin adds that in the foreseeable future, the main focus of space research will remain on the Moon for the next 10-20 years.
— In the United States, the SLS superheavy carrier is being prepared for this, which should send astronauts to the Moon, China is actively developing its own lunar program, and Russia is planning to create automatic stations. The main tasks of the coming years are landing on the moon, exploring its resources and developing technologies that can then be useful for deep space," he says.
According to the general opinion of scientists, Venus exploration programs should not be considered as an immediate exploration of the planet in the usual sense. The main interest of the planet today is scientific: the study of its atmosphere, climate, geology and possible forms of life in the cloud layer. Exploration and human presence on the surface remain an extremely distant prospect.
In addition, scientists agree that the experience gained on the Moon will become a necessary base for future missions to deep space, including Venus. First, it is necessary to work out life support technologies, energy supply and operation of robotic devices in extreme conditions, and only then can we talk about more ambitious projects for the exploration of terrestrial planets.
The Soviet experience of exploring Venus
The strategic choice in favor of exploring Venus was made back in Soviet times under the leadership of academician Mstislav Keldysh. As Oleg Korablev notes, Venus has always been considered a "Russian planet" in a sense. Today, interest in it is also a desire to return Russia's leadership in its research.
— The history of studying Venus goes deep into the past: back in the 18th century, Mikhail Lomonosov discovered the planet's atmosphere by observing its passage through the Sun's disk, thanks to an ingenious interpretation of the data obtained. In recent times, starting from the late 1960s and up to 1984, Soviet automatic stations conducted a large-scale program of exploration of Venus. The first successful landing on the surface of another planet was made in 1970 by the Venus 7 spacecraft, which transmitted data on temperature and pressure on the surface, the expert explains.
Reproduction of the image of the panorama of the surface of Venus, obtained from the lander of the station "Venus-14"
The following missions, Venera 9 and Venera 10 (1975), returned images of the surface for the first time, and Venera 13 and Venera 14 (1982) took color photographs and conducted detailed soil analysis. These devices provided unique data on the composition of the Venusian crust, the mechanics of surface rocks, and atmospheric features, including high cloud acidity and extreme climatic conditions.
Today, according to Korablev, Venus opens a new scientific niche.
— We had good prerequisites for Mars exploration, but previous programs like ExoMars are no longer possible. Venus provides an opportunity to return to leading planetary research and apply the accumulated Soviet experience in modern missions," the expert concludes.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
