Multiple space agencies will contribute to these instruments, including the Italian Space Agency (ASI), NASA, the French space agency (CNES), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and the Belgian Science Policy Center (BELSPO). The collaboration underscores a globally coordinated effort to deepen our knowledge of Earth's nearest planetary neighbor.
EnVision aims to systematically explore Venus from its innermost layers to the atmosphere above, offering fresh insights into the planet's past and present activity. Scientists hope to resolve how Venus, so similar to Earth in size and solar distance, became an inhospitable world.
Launched in November 2031, this new mission follows the precedent of Venus Express, Europe's previous major exploration effort more than two decades ago. The comprehensive investigations planned for EnVision are expected to yield unprecedented data on Venus's geology, evolution, and climate.
"I wanted to sincerely thank the European Space Agency for putting its trust in our company," Thales Alenia Space CEO Herve Derrey said. "Thales Alenia Space took part to iconic space exploration and science interplanetary missions across the solar system, including Mars with ExoMars, Mercury with BepiColombo, the Sun with Solar Orbiter, asteroids and comets with Rosetta-Philae, Saturn with Cassini-Huygens, and tomorrow the Moon with Artemis, not to mention Euclid that will explore dark energy and dark matter to better understand the origin of the Universe's accelerating expansion. This stunning mission will be a new step toward better understanding the deepest secrets of Venus, emphasizing in particular the many similarities and differences that exist between the Earth and the planet Venus, which is 41 million kilometers away from ours."
"We are extremely proud to announce our contribution to ESA's EnVision mission in partnership with NASA, 20 years after the historic Venus Express mission. This new initiative, which follows on from the extraordinary BepiColombo and ExoMars 2016 missions, represents a significant milestone for the industry as well as for space research," said Giampiero Di Paolo, Deputy CEO and Senior Vice President, Observation, Exploration and Navigation at Thales Alenia Space. "The EnVision mission, involving major international partners, is an ambitious program that will help us unravel the mysteries of the evolution of Venus, a planet so similar to Earth in many respects, but at the same time so different. With our experience and commitment, we are determined to support this crucial planetary mission, which promises to further our knowledge of our solar system."
"We are thrilled to partner with Thales Alenia Space on this ground-breaking new mission to Venus - said ESA Science Director, Prof. Carole Mundell - No other mission has ever attempted such a comprehensive investigation of our remarkably inhospitable neighbour. EnVision will answer fundamental questions about how a planet becomes habitable - or the opposite."
Following arrival at Venus, EnVision will undergo an extended aerobraking phase as it gradually lowers its orbit. The spacecraft will rely on its surfaces interacting with the planet's dense atmosphere, a delicate process that demands meticulous thermal and structural control over several months.
Once in a stable near-polar orbit, EnVision will gather data for around six Venusian years, equal to roughly four Earth years. Thales Alenia Space will draw on the aerobraking experience gained from the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter mission in 2016 to ensure safe orbital maneuvers.
In parallel, ESA has already approved development up to commissioning in Venus orbit, with an important system requirements review set for 2025. During this period, Thales Alenia Space will finalize the industrial partnership, aiming for a full go-ahead for Phase C/D by June 2026.
As prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space will oversee the entire spacecraft, which carries the following payloads contributed by ESA member states and NASA:
+ VenSAR (Venus Synthetic Aperture Radar)
+ VenSpec suite (spectrometer suite) consisting of:
+ VenSpec-H (High-Resolution Infrared Spectrometer)
+ VenSpec-U (Ultraviolet Spectral Imager)
+ VenSpec-M (Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer) and Central Control Unit (CCU)
+ Subsurface Radar Sounder (SRS)
+ Radio Science Experiment (RSE)
In this architecture, OHB will manage mechanical, thermal, and propulsion subsystems, while Thales Alenia Space in France oversees the Attitude and Orbit Control Subsystem (AOCS) and the aerobraking analysis. Thales Alenia Space in Italy leads the overall design, ensuring tight coordination among the international collaborators.
EnVision was officially adopted in 2024 by ESA's Science Programme Committee as the fifth medium-class mission under the Agency's Cosmic Vision plan. NASA will support the mission by providing VenSAR and crucial Deep Space Network coverage. After a 15-month cruise, EnVision will spend about a year aerobraking to achieve its low-polar orbit.
Once it settles at an altitude between 220 and 540 km with an orbital period of around 94 minutes, the mission team will begin comprehensive observations to better understand Venus's geology, atmospheric behavior, and evolutionary trajectory. This collaborative effort promises to reshape our view of Earth's sister planet.
Related Links
Thales Alenia Space
Venus Express News and Venusian Science
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