Private Venus Life Finder Mission MIT Atmosphere
The first Venus Life Finder mission is set to launch in 2023, managed and funded by California-based Rocket Lab. It will be led by MIT scientists and take off on an Electron rocket, which is set to transport a 50-pound probe on board its Photon spacecraft for the five-month, 38-million-mile journey to Venus, all in hopes of spending minutes in Venusian clouds.



The probe will be carrying a laser instrument designed specifically for this mission, and aims to detect signs that complex chemistry is occurring within the droplets it encounters on its brief descent into the haze. If it detects fluorescence or impurities in the droplets, this could indicate that there could be more than just sulfuric acid in the atmosphere. Why is this important Well, if there is life on Venus, it’s probably some type of microbial-type life that resides inside cloud particles.

Sale
Celestron – SkyMaster 15x70 Binocular – #1 Bestselling Astronomy Binocular – Large Aperture for...
7,699 Reviews
Celestron – SkyMaster 15x70 Binocular – #1 Bestselling Astronomy Binocular – Large Aperture for...
  • POWERFUL 15X MAGNIFICATION: With these giant astronomy binoculars, you get massive 70mm objective lenses and powerful 15x magnification. It's the most...
  • INCLUDES TRIPOD ADAPTER: Stabilize your binocular for added comfort and shake-free views. Mount your 70mm SkyMaster binoculars on any traditional...
  • BRIGHT, SHARP VIEWS WITH BaK-4 PRISMS: The SkyMaster is a favorite among those who view in dim conditions near dawn and dusk or at night for...

We hope this is the start of a new paradigm where you go cheaply, more often, and in a more focused way. This is a newer, nimbler, faster way to do space science. It’s very MIT. People have been talking about missions to Venus for a long time. But we’ve come up with a new suite of focused, miniaturized instruments to get the particular job done,” said Sara Seager, principal investigator for the planned Venus Life Finder Missions.

Author

A technology, gadget and video game enthusiast that loves covering the latest industry news. Favorite trade show? Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.