VERITAS mission to Venus aimed to explore deep truths about 'Earth's twin': NASA

US ncy NASA recently revealed details of its VERITAS mission to Venus which is aimed to explore ‘deep truths’ of Earth’s ‘mysterious twin’. Venus is second planet from Sun and it is very similar in size and structure to Earth. While researchers informed that ‘twin’ planet even appeared at same time as Earth, y also said that ‘rocky planet’ is different in almost every or way. 

In a bid to understand how ‘sister planets’ evolved so differently, NASA proposed mission VERITAS. According to a press te, mission will help scientists understand internal geodynamics that shaped Venus. Furr, researchers believe that mission could lend insights into Earth’s evolution as well.  

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NASA plans to launch VERITAS project in 2026 in collaboration with French ncy, Germany ncy and Italian ncy. mission will orbit planet and create 3D maps with help of a high-tech radar system. It furr will also measure Venu’s gravitational field in order to determine planet’s interior. With help of a near-infrared spectrometer, VERITAS will help figure out what planet’s surface is made of. 

While calling Venus ‘cosmic gift on an accident’, Suzanne Smrekar, principal investigator of VERITAS at JPL, said, “You have se two planetary bodies - Earth and Venus - that started out nearly same but have gone down two completely different evolutionary paths, but we don't kw why”. 

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‘1st maps of Venus’ surface composition’ 

As per press release, US ncy aims to learn more about geological processes on Venus. researchers believe that with high resolution 3D topographic maps VERITAS would bring into focus structures that have previously been too small to resolve. Additionally, mission would study vast deformation structures called tessera and VERITAS would also construct ‘first global multispectral maps of Venus’ surface composition’. 

Smrekar said, “To unwrap mysteries of Venus we have to look under hood at Venus' interior; it is engine for global geologic and atmospheric evolution”. 

She furr added, "Are Venus and Earth fundamentally unique worlds? Or are differences between se 'twins' only cosmetic? Answering this question is key to understanding what makes or rocky planets habitable and, ultimately, emerge with life”. 

(Im: NASA/Website) 

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