Europe will go it alone on Venus mission after NASA yanks radar instrument
摘要
欧洲空间局决定在NASA退出后独立推进“Envision”金星探测任务。NASA原计划提供合成孔径雷达仪器及深空网络支持，但因难以履行承诺而退出。该轨道器将以比上世纪90年代任务高十倍的分辨率测绘金星表面，并寻找活火山迹象。欧空局将自行建造航天器及科学仪器，并通过阿丽亚娜6号火箭发射。
The European Space Agency is moving "full steam ahead" with development of a robotic mission to Venus after NASA officials determined they were unlikely to fulfill a commitment to provide a US-built radar instrument for the spacecraft, the mission's project scientist said.
The European orbiter, named Envision, will map the Venusian surface at 10 times higher resolution than the last radar mission sent to Venus by NASA in the 1990s. The planet is enshrouded in a blanket of thick clouds of sulfuric acid, rendering its mysterious surface unseen by optical cameras in orbit. Radar is the most effective way to penetrate the clouds of Venus to reveal the terrain below, and scientists will use Envision to look for signs of active volcanism.
NASA and ESA signed a memorandum of understanding in 2024 outlining their partnership on Envision. NASA agreed to supply a US-made synthetic aperture radar instrument, Envision's primary means of mapping the surface of Venus, along with providing tracking and communications support through NASA's Deep Space Network. In exchange, ESA would include US researchers on Envision's science team. Europe would build the Envision spacecraft and the rest of its science instruments and also provide the launch on an Ariane 6 rocket.
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