by Michael Brand
Earlier this week NASA released new details about its DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) mission, which looks to investigate Venus’ atmosphere. The mission is the first to Venus in the 21st Century, the two missions prior being, “Pioneer in 1978 and Magellan in the early ’90s” (Strickland). Innovations in the space sector may make this mission a consequential one in understanding our universe, as Venus offers an array of important information.
The probe, which will descend on Venus in 2031, has “two onboard instruments that will study the planet’s clouds and map its highland areas during flybys of Venus and will also drop a small descent probe with five instruments that will provide a medley of new measurements at very high precision during its descent to the hellish Venus surface” (Jones). In addition the probe will reach Venus’ surface touching down in the Alpha Regio mountains. The combination of these observations will give astronomists invaluable information in answering important questions in the field.
According to physical scientist Michael Way at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Science in New York City, Venus at one point may have mirrored Earth in having moderate temperatures and liquid water before experiencing disastrous climate events (Way). With the new data the mission will help scientists “understand how Venus became an inferno-like world when it has so many other characteristics similar to ours” (NASA). Using 21st Century technology, DAVINCI will build upon the data brought back by Pioneer and Magellan, shaping our understanding of the hellish planet.
As our planet falls victim to anthropogenic climate change, understanding how other planets, like Venus, became unviable will help shape our decisions in the future. The DAVINCI mission will build upon previous missions and aid our understanding of the universe we live in. Funding missions like these are essential to humanity's survival. Even with a growing private space sector, keeping NASA funded ensures we have missions, like DAVINCI, which are not aimed at filling corporate pockets but rather towards the furthering of humanity. Our understanding of our universe will only continue with funding for NASA so they explore it with important missions like this one.
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