This hebdomad , a squad of researchers announced they have discoveredtraces of phosphinein the standard pressure of Venus — a gas produced almost only on Earth by anaerobic microorganisms , but the presence of which on Venus scientists presently do n’t sympathise .
Dmitry Rogozin , the psyche of Russia ’s state - run astronautics corp Roscosmos , responded to this find by aver two things : Venus is a nightmare world that belongs to Russia , and he mean to up the number of missions his agency will mail there .
“ Our land was the first and only one to successfully land on Venus , ” Rogozin told attendees at the 2020 HeliRussia exposition , according to Russia ’s state - runTASS news federal agency . “ The [ Russian ] spacecraft gathered information about the planet — it is like hell over there . ”
Dmitry Rogozin meeting with NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine at Baikonur cosmodrone in Kazakhstan in 2018.Photo: Yuri Kotchetkov/AFP (Getty Images)
“ We believe that Venus is a Russian satellite , ” Rogozin added .
First thing ’s first : Rogozin issomewhat notoriousfor trolling . So it ’s almost certain that he was n’t declaring an actual territorial claim to the intact major planet . Rogozin may have been lob a knowing jab at NASA , which recently begansoliciting bidsfor the first commercial off - humans purchase of Moon rocks . NASA has long rejected the opinion that outer space is a global commons , instead catch off - world imagination as up for grab by anyone with the capability to get them . This policy has promptedaccusations of outer space colonialismfrom Roscosmos functionary .
It is also , of trend , possible that Rogozin was merely joking that theinhospitable climatein role of Russia and the nightmarish conditions on Venus ’s Earth’s surface — temperatures of 880 degrees Fahrenheit , cloud of sulfuric superman , and atmospheric pressure 90 time that of Earth , to name some — digest more than a few things in common .
Russia was indeed thefirst countryto have successfully landed on the Venusian surface with its Soviet - eraVenera missions , and Roscosmos can plausibly gasconade about the validity of the Russian guile that made it there : Venera-13 outlive an stupefying 127 minutes , while one of NASA ’s four Pioneer Venus Multiprobe ’s manage to land and carry justfor over an hourin 1978 . ( Roscosmos is continuing to discuss a collaborationism with NASA on the pop the question Venera - calciferol mission , which would send another lander to Venus in 2026 or 2031 . )
harmonise to theAFP , Rogozin commented last month that “ I believe that Venus is more interesting than Mars , ” add up “ If we do n’t analyze what is bump on Venus then we wo n’t understand how to prevent a similar scenario from happening on our major planet . ”
Rogozin also stated Roscosmos was considering its own additional mission(s ) to Venus with the intention of returning materials samples from its surface , withTASS reportingthat Scientific Director of the Russian Space Research Institute Lev Zeleny also tell in May that the federal agency plans to send at least three research vehicle . NASA is alsoconsidering doing so , having neglected Venus enquiry for tenner as it focalise on planet and moonswith water . ( Any oceans Venus may have had have long since disappear due to some genial ofapocalyptic event . )
Both agencies have historicallystruggled with financing . NASA has two plans for Venusian spacecraft promise DAVINCI+ and VERITAS , but they ’re vie for funding with missions to Neptune ’s moon Triton and Jupiter ’s moon Io . The Russian government has strap funding for Roscosmos repeatedly in recent years , even as it ’s facing pressure level from competitor like SpaceX who offercheaper , reusable rockets . Rogozin has offereda mess of blusterabout Roscosmos ’ capableness despite the gash , but this week he accommodate that deficient funding was get hold of a cost .
“ I do n’t quite realize how to work in these conditions , ” Rogozin aver . “ We are seeing that leading alien space agencies are increasing their budgets . ” Going to hell just is n’t as easy as it used to be .
AstrobiologyDmitry RogozinNASAScienceSolar SystemSpace
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