Rocket Lab: planned launch of the Venus Life probe in 2024-2025

CTOnews.com, Nov. 2, according to Christophe Mandy, chief systems engineer for interstellar missions at SpaceNews, Rocket Lab (Rocket Lab), at the meeting of the NASA Venus Exploration and Analysis Group on October 30, the company plans to carry out a private Venus exploration mission on December 30, 2024.

▲ source: rocket laboratory the company added that the launch time of the mission will be extended to 2025, but no final launch date has been set.

According to reports, the spacecraft, called the Venus Life probe, weighs 315kg and will be launched on an Electron rocket. It will first enter low-Earth orbit, then conduct a series of ignition operations, and then sail to Venus in about a year and a half.

Once it reaches Venus, the spacecraft will release a small probe. The probe will slowly descend into the atmosphere of Venus, where it will look for conditions to support life.

Rocket Lab originally announced the mission in 2020 and plans to launch it as early as 2023, but it has been delayed. CTOnews.com found that the mission was developed in collaboration with MIT and was funded by undisclosed philanthropists.