ISRO has set its sights on launching the Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) in March 2028, which will entail a 112-day journey to the planet. Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the mission, which has a budget of ₹1,236 crore. The VOM, also referred to as Shukrayaan-1, will be deployed using the Launch Vehicle Mark-3, and it is anticipated to carry 19 payloads. This mission represents a significant advancement in India’s space exploration efforts, as it will be the country’s inaugural expedition to Venus, a planet often likened to Earth due to its comparable size and composition. The launch will utilize ISRO’s LVM-3, a robust rocket recognized for its capability to transport substantial payloads into space. Initially, the spacecraft will enter an elliptical parking orbit around Earth before commencing its journey to Venus. According to ISRO’s schedule, the spacecraft is expected to depart Earth on March 29, 2028, with the Venus Orbit Injection (VOI) planned for July 19, 2028.
Upon arrival at Venus, the spacecraft will initially establish an elliptical orbit measuring 500 km by 60,000 km around the planet. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to utilize sophisticated aerobraking methods over a period of six to eight months to systematically reduce the spacecraft’s orbit to a more appropriate scientific orbit of 200 km by 600 km. This final orbital configuration will facilitate optimal scientific investigations, featuring an inclination of approximately 90 degrees.The Venus Orbiter Mission is equipped with 19 scientific instruments aimed at exploring various characteristics of Venus’s atmosphere, surface, and its interactions with solar activity. Among these instruments, 16 have been developed by Indian researchers, while two represent collaborative projects between Indian and international entities. Notably, one of the international instruments, the Venusian Neutrals Analyzer (VNA), will be supplied by the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) and is intended to examine the interactions between solar particles and the atmosphere of Venus.