After success with Mars, ISRO is now planning a mission to Venus

After the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its Mars Orbiter Mission, winning many accolades, reports suggest that it now plans a mission to Venus. The Times of India reports, “Space scientist Narendra Bhandari of the Ahmedabad-based Physical Research Laboratory announced this while addressing Mumbai school students through skype at the Nehru Science Centre in Worli.” [caption id=“attachment_2359062” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] And it is not just Venus, ISRO plans to explore a certain asteroid as well. Zee News quoted ISRO Chairman Kiran Kumar as saying, “Venus is our neighbor and has many scientific challenges and aspects that need to be studied. Exploring an asteroid is also challenging task.” This news comes after ISRO had announced on 13 July that it is targetting up to 10 launches a year by 2016. “We intend up to 10 launches a year. By March next, 7-8 launches will be held. By next year, we are expecting 10 launches a year”, Kumar had told reporters at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)’s office at nearby Akkulam. India’s last planetary mission, the Mars Orbiter Mission was launched on 5 November, 2013 and went into Mars orbit on 24 September, 2014. The Mars mission team won the prestigious 2015 Space Pioneer Award in the science and engineering category in recognition of achieving the rare feat in its very first attempt. Once the Mars mission had reached the planet’s orbit, an elated Prime Minister Narendra Modi had described the feat as historic" and “spectacular”. Given India’s success with the Mars mission, here’s hoping the Venus mission too will see the same results. With agency inputs