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So obviously a mission to Venus to gather additional information should instantly become a top priority. Is there anything already in the works?

ddevault 6y ago
Such a mission has to be undertaken with care. You don't want to become the next Venusian extinction event by mistake.
- willis936 6y ago
  Or almost as concerning: you don’t want to be genesis on Venus before you have some answers.
  - LostTrackHowM 6y ago
    Or alternatively, we deliberately infect it without athmosperic bacteria: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318094642.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318094642.h... Which would be terrible... but true to our history when discovering new world.
walkingolof 6y ago
Scott Manley have an interesting video on the problems with exploring Venus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DEvcJgBy0c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DEvcJgBy0c
Robotbeat 6y ago
Yes. RocketLab recently announced they'll be sending a mission to Venus. Privately funded, and the details will be announced shortly. https://www.reddit.com/r/RocketLab/comments/g8bxmy/rocket_labs_peter_beck_midair_recovery_photon/ https://www.reddit.com/r/RocketLab/comments/g8bxmy/rocket_la... In 2023: https://www.space.com/rocket-lab-private-venus-mission-2023.html https://www.space.com/rocket-lab-private-venus-mission-2023.... I have to wonder if they had contact with these MIT scientists pre-publication and that's what partially spurred this mission. (RocketLab and Photon seem like a REALLY good platform for low-cost, small planetary missions like this. You can launch a mission for the price of a paper conceptual study and without the constraints of being a secondary payload, which is problematic for planetary missions with their narrow launch windows.)
BinaryAsteroid 6y ago
Earlier this year, NASA selected two missions to Venus as finalists for the next Discovery-class mission, DAVINCI+ and VERITAS: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-selects-four-possible-missions-to-study-the-secrets-of-the-solar-system https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-selects-four-possibl... It's unclear if these missions are currently designed to be able to detect phosphine though.

ddevault 6y ago

Such a mission has to be undertaken with care. You don't want to become the next Venusian extinction event by mistake.

willis936 6y ago
Or almost as concerning: you don’t want to be genesis on Venus before you have some answers.
- LostTrackHowM 6y ago
  Or alternatively, we deliberately infect it without athmosperic bacteria: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318094642.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318094642.h... Which would be terrible... but true to our history when discovering new world.

walkingolof 6y ago

Scott Manley have an interesting video on the problems with exploring Venus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DEvcJgBy0c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DEvcJgBy0c

Robotbeat 6y ago

Yes. RocketLab recently announced they'll be sending a mission to Venus. Privately funded, and the details will be announced shortly. https://www.reddit.com/r/RocketLab/comments/g8bxmy/rocket_labs_peter_beck_midair_recovery_photon/ https://www.reddit.com/r/RocketLab/comments/g8bxmy/rocket_la... In 2023: https://www.space.com/rocket-lab-private-venus-mission-2023.html https://www.space.com/rocket-lab-private-venus-mission-2023.... I have to wonder if they had contact with these MIT scientists pre-publication and that's what partially spurred this mission. (RocketLab and Photon seem like a REALLY good platform for low-cost, small planetary missions like this. You can launch a mission for the price of a paper conceptual study and without the constraints of being a secondary payload, which is problematic for planetary missions with their narrow launch windows.)

BinaryAsteroid 6y ago

Earlier this year, NASA selected two missions to Venus as finalists for the next Discovery-class mission, DAVINCI+ and VERITAS: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-selects-four-possible-missions-to-study-the-secrets-of-the-solar-system https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-selects-four-possibl... It's unclear if these missions are currently designed to be able to detect phosphine though.