Researchers from the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) will participate in a major international project to create a high-resolution map of Venus from its terrain to its atmosphere. The European Space Agency (ESA) officially announced on the 17th that CI LEE Yeon Joo of the Planetary Atmospheres Group at the IBS Center for Climate and Earth Science has joined the Venus orbiter mission "EnVision" as a Co-Investigator (Co-I).

Venus, often called Earth's "twin planet" due to its similar size, mass, and distance from the sun, has an average temperature of 467°C and a different atmospheric composition, making it a hellish version of the Earth. The race to discover why these two planets with similar starting points have diverged so greatly has begun. Observing Venus will help us understand the conditions that make a planet habitable and develop strategies to prepare for extreme climate changes that may affect Earth in the future.

EnVision is the fifth medium-class mission¹⁾ of ESA and its second Venus exploration mission. After being selected in 2021 and completing the study phase, the mission was officially confirmed on January 25. In collaboration with NASA, the project aims to create a high-resolution map of Venus, from its core to its upper atmosphere. The mission is scheduled to launch in 2031, with the spacecraft reaching Venus orbit and beginning observations in 2034.

The EnVision mission will carry three instruments: VenSAR and SRS to explore Venus' terrain, and the VenSpec Suite to measure the atmosphere. CI LEE Yeon Joo will participate as a Co-Investigator for the VenSpec Suite, conducting atmospheric research.

The VenSpec Suite consists of three spectrometers named U, M, and H, developed by research teams from Germany, France, and Belgium. VenSpec-U will track trace gases and unknown absorbers in Venus' upper cloud layers, VenSpec-M will explore the atmosphere close to the surface beneath the clouds, and VenSpec-H will observe the clouds' lower layers at night and the upper layers during the day. Before joining IBS, Lee participated in VenSpec-U research.

Co-Investigators support the mission with their scientific excellence and experience and gain unrestricted access to VenSpec Suite's observation data. They can also invite students and researchers working with them as collaborators, expanding the opportunity for their teams to participate in this major space mission. Participating as a Co-Investigator from the early stages of the mission allows for preparatory observation activities, enabling proactive research as soon as data is obtained in 2034. South Korea has no financial burden in the €500 million (approximately KRW 744.5 billion) EnVision mission.

CI LEE Yeon Joo commented, "We will uncover new knowledge about Venus, our 'sibling' planet, through EnVision's observational data." She added, "I hope that young researchers who gain experience with the IBS Planetary Atmospheres Group will lead future planetary exploration missions when Korea has its own planetary probe."

Meanwhile, the IBS Planetary Atmosphere Group is conducting Korea's first long-term Venus observation project (CLOVE). The goal is to observe Venus over more than ten years by launching a microsatellite into low Earth orbit every three years. While a major probe like EnVision approaches Venus to provide high-resolution details of surface volcanic activity and atmospheric data, the microsatellite will observe the entire planet, providing a 'big picture.' IBS is currently developing payloads with domestic companies and preparing to select a company to develop the microsatellite body, aiming to launch the first microsatellite in 2026.

그림 설명

[Figure 1] The Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Planetary Atmospheres Group’s CI officially joins the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA-led Venus orbiter mission EnVision as a Co-Investigator.
[Image Source: ESA/NASA/Paris Observatory/VR2Planets]

IBS Public Relations Team
William I. Suh

1) Medium-Class Missions: Cosmic Vision 2015-2025, one of ESA's major scientific programs, categorizes missions into small, medium, and large. EnVision was selected as the fifth and final medium-class mission in 2021, following missions like Solar Orbiter (observing the Sun), Euclid (exploring dark matter and dark energy), PLATO, and ARIEL (exploring exoplanets).