Rocket Lab, the aerospace manufacturer and small satellite launcher, is planning to launch a privately funded mission to Venus in late 2024. The mission, known as the Rocket Lab Mission to Venus or Venus Life Finder, aims to search for evidence of life in the planet’s atmosphere. The company has set a launch date of December 30, 2024, and is working with scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on the project.
The Venus Life Finder mission will send a small spacecraft equipped with an autofluorescence nephelometer to detect organic compounds in droplets in Venus’ clouds. The spacecraft will separate from a probe, which will enter Venus’ atmosphere to collect data. After descending through the planet’s upper atmosphere, the probe will transmit the collected data for 20 minutes before reaching an altitude of about 22 kilometers. The mission is expected to arrive at Venus on May 13, 2025.
Rocket Lab has been collaborating with MIT and other partners on the mission, which relies on private funding. The company previously delayed the mission as it worked on other priorities but is now making good progress. External vendors are providing various components, including a thermal protection system from NASA’s Ames Research Center and the main instrument from Droplet Measurement Technologies. The delivery of these components is expected by the end of the year, allowing for the assembly, integration, and testing of the spacecraft to take place next year.
The Rocket Lab Mission to Venus is part of a series proposed by MIT scientists to search for signs of life on the planet. While Rocket Lab currently does not have plans for funding other missions, the successful demonstration of this mission could encourage governmental bodies to support similar missions. The mission is expected to have a significantly lower cost than typical space missions, potentially fitting within NASA’s smallest class of planetary science missions.
The announcement of the mission was met with excitement at the Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG) meeting, where Christopher Mandy, the lead system engineer for Rocket Lab’s interplanetary missions, shared the details. Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s planetary science division, expressed her anticipation for the Rocket Lab launch and praised the increase in capability that the mission represents. Despite constrained budgets, NASA may consider future missions like this within its SIMPLEx program, which has a cost cap of $55 million.
Rocket Lab’s mission to Venus showcases the company’s expertise and its commitment to advancing space exploration. As the launch date approaches, scientists and space enthusiasts eagerly await the valuable data that this privately funded mission could provide regarding the potential for life on Venus.