--- title: "ESA Unveils Plan to Send Spacecraft Through Venus’ “Hot, Thick” Atmosphere" description: "ESA is prepping to send a spacecraft to Venus — a feat which will require state-of-the-art methods to get through the planet's grueling atmosphere. " date: "2022-08-01" modified: "2022-08-01" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/esa-venus-envision-atmosphere" categories: - "ESA" - "Space" tags: - "atmosphere" - "ESA" - "the digest" - "Venus" --- # ESA Unveils Plan to Send Spacecraft Through Venus’ “Hot, Thick” Atmosphere ![ESA is prepping to send a spacecraft to Venus — a feat which will require state-of-the-art methods to get through the planet's grueling atmosphere. ]() *\Image: ESA/Futurism\* ## Too Hot to Handle The European Space Agency is preparing to send an orbital spacecraft to Venus — a feat which will require some out-of-the-box thinking to survive the planet's grueling atmosphere. In a recent statement, the [ESA described the stark difficulties]() facing its EnVision mission. Topping the list of challenges is our planetary neighbor's "hot, thick atmosphere," which is made up of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid fumes, making it the hottest planet in our Solar System. That means the agency will need a detailed plan to safely "surf" the Venusian atmosphere — without having its spacecraft burn up like a marshmallow that got too close to the flames. ## Aero-What Now? As of right now, the ESA is in the process of developing a tried-and-true "aerobraking" method, which involves the spacecraft slowing down significantly so that it can lower its orbit to just above the inner edge of the planet's roiling atmosphere. At this stage, it will try to collect as much information as possible about the planet below. If all goes according to plan, EnVision will repeat this process over thousands of orbits. According to EnVision study manager Thomas Voirin, the craft will get as low as 93 miles above Venus' surface to get the best possible images — a process that will require the orbital probe to withstand the planet's hostile atmosphere. To help it do just that, engineers at the ESA are testing a range of different materials and coatings to protect the spacecraft's delicate scientific instruments. ## Race to Venus ESA [announced the EnVision mission in 2021]() and expects to have it arrive at Venus in the "early 2030s," which is only a few years after [NASA's slated 2029 launch date]() of its ambitious DAVINCI mission, which involves both an orbiter and a descent probe. Given the many past collaborations between the two agencies — and the timing of their respective missions — they're likely trading notes already. **READ MORE:** [Readying spacecraft to surf Venus’ atmosphere]() \[ESA\] **More Venusian news:** [*MIT Scientists Say Life May Have Been Detected on Venus After All*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()