The first private mission to Venus has been postponed

The first private robotic mission to Venus, prepared by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in collaboration with Rocket Lab, has been postponed because the Neutron launch vehicle has not yet received launch authorization. The mission aims to search for possible signs of life on Venus and was initially scheduled to launch in 2024.

Rocket Lab’s mission will deploy a conical probe designed to collect samples from the planet’s atmosphere. The probe will analyze individual particles in the Venusian atmosphere using an autofluorescence nephelometer, an instrument capable of determining the individual particles in Venus’s clouds, including their size, shape, and composition. Researchers will search for organic molecules that could indicate the presence of ingredients necessary for life.

Rocket Lab is providing the rocket, cruise vehicle, and probe, while NASA developed the HEEET heat shield, designed to withstand temperatures of up to 2,500 degrees Celsius. The probe is currently at the company’s headquarters in Long Beach, California.

The launch will take place from Launch Complex 3 on Wallops Island, Virginia, but depends on the completion of testing and acceptance procedures for Neutron, which has not yet made its inaugural flight.

The mission is part of the Morning Star program, coordinated by Sara Seager, which includes plans for further investigations: identifying complex organic molecules, using an atmospheric balloon, and developing miniature molecular sensors. Venus is considered a challenging and still relatively unexplored destination, but its acidic clouds could provide conditions for the existence of forms of atmospheric life.