NASA to revisit Venus in search for life
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The surface of Venus is much hotter than an oven. The atmospheric pressure crushes spacecraft like tin cans. Sulphuric acid falls as raindrops.
But high above, among the planet’s swirling yellow cloud decks, things are calmer. There is water, and temperatures that approximate Earth’s. And, just maybe, a signal of life.
To investigate, NASA said on Thursday it would finally return to Venus.
Two $645 million probes, DAVINCI+ and VERITAS, are slated to launch between 2028 and 2030. They will sample the planet’s atmosphere, map the surface and look for evidence of past oceans and current life forms.