- Shukrayaan I, was initially expected to be launched in December 2024. The idea was born in 2012.
- But ISRO said that it is yet to receive approval from the Indian government for the Venus mission and that the mission could as a result be postponed to 2031.
- The launch will involve GSLV Mark II.
- Shukrayaan I will be an orbiter mission. Its scientific payloads currently include a high-resolution synthetic aperture radar and a ground-penetrating radar.
- The mission is expected to study Venus’s geological and volcanic activity, emissions on the ground, wind speed, cloud cover, and other planetary characteristics from an elliptical orbit.
- The US and the European space agencies have Venus missions planned for 2031 — referring to VERITAS and EnVision, respectively.
XPoSat
India is preparing to launch its first X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) to investigate the polarization of intense X-ray sources in space.
- While India has previously focused on space-based X-ray astronomy, this mission marks a significant addition by exploring the polarization of X-rays emitted by astronomical sources.
- The XPoSat spacecraft, designated for observation from Low Earth Orbit, will carry two scientific payloads capable of simultaneous studies of temporal, spectral, and polarization features of bright X-ray sources.
This mission is expected to contribute valuable insights into the processes and properties of celestial sources emitting X-rays.
