NASA moves DAVINCI to 2030 and sets VERITAS launch for 2032
NASA now targets December 2030 for DAVINCI, a year earlier than planned, and November 2032 for VERITAS, according to mission updates reported by Ars Technica. DAVINCI will send a probe through Venus’s atmosphere; VERITAS will map the surface from orbit, after budget pressure and delays threatened the missions.
Bottom line — DAVINCI and VERITAS are now targeting launches just under two years apart.
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Ars Technica reports that DAVINCI’s descent probe is expected to return the first direct images of Venus’s surface since 1982.
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The DAVINCI team says its carrier spacecraft may retain enough fuel to enter orbit around Venus after the probe’s descent.
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VERITAS will use radar to improve on maps made by NASA’s Magellan mission in the 1990s, with a focus on areas with active volcanoes, Ars Technica reports.
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NASA pulled out of supplying a radar instrument for ESA’s EnVision mission; Ars Technica says ESA is moving ahead with a European-built replacement.
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Ars Technica reports that budget cuts and delays at NASA put VERITAS at risk, while ending NASA’s EnVision contribution freed funding for the two US missions.