NEW DELHI, Sep 27The Indian Space Research Organization has developed equipment for its planned mission to Venus, space agency chief Sridhara Somnath said on Wednesday.
«We have many missions at the conceptual stage. The mission to Venus has already been configured. The payloads for it have already been developed,» he said, speaking at the Indian National Academy of Sciences in Delhi.
Somnath noted that Venus is “an interesting planet” and its study will help answer some questions in the field of space science. However, he did not name the possible launch dates for the mission to this celestial body.
At the same time, last year Somnath stated that the research station to Venus is planned to be launched in 2024, when the position of the Earth and Venus will be as convenient as possible for such a flight. The station's entry into Venus orbit was then planned for 2025.
The head of the Indian space agency also indicated that if India fails to launch a mission to Venus in 2024, then the next time the planets will occupy a favorable position for launching the station only in 2031.