Metallic waves on ancient Mars
The European Space Agency’s Mars Express has spotted a swathe of metallic-looking waves filling Mars’s large Kaiser Crater – an ancient and otherworldly dune field sculpted by wind.
The mission
Envision will be the first mission to provide a complete view of Venus from its inner core to its upper atmosphere to determine how and why Venus and Earth evolved so differently. The mission will investigate the planet’s atmosphere, surface and interior, and how these different layers interact with each other.
The journey
Planned launch: November 2031
Destination: Venus
Planned time to arrival: 15 months cruise to Venus + 11 months aerobraking to reach the final science orbit
Science operation phase: 4 Earth years
2
nd ESA Venus mission
6
instruments
10
m ground resolution
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Latest news
Why we need Solar Orbiter
While it is undoubtedly a great achievement to operate so close to the Sun, the question remains, why do something so risky with a €1.5 billion euro spacecraft when you can take images of the Sun from Earth? The answer, of course, is science.
Webb captures commotion from nebula’s stellar jets
NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled numerous stars formerly hidden by clouds of dust in a stellar nursery known as NGC 7129 – a cauldron of cosmic creation, 3300 light-years from Earth.
Happy New Year on Mars
30 September 2026 marks the start of a new year on Mars. At exactly 10:16 CEST/08:16 UTC on Earth, the Red Planet begins a new orbit around our Sun.
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Latest images
17th European Space Conference - Envision signs contract with Thales Alenia Space
Envision signs contract with Thales Alenia Space
17th European Space Conference - Industry partner joins ESA's Envision mission
Industry partner joins ESA's Envision mission
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Latest videos
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Latest links
@ESA_Envision
Envision videos
Envision images
Envision in depth
In-depth information about the science and technology aspects of the mission
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Envision science: what will the mission observe?
Envision targets on Venus’s surface
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Related links
Top five Venus mysteries Envision will solve
Venus is a Solar System enigma. Similar in size to Earth and orbiting the Sun at a similar distance, it is remarkable how the two planets evolved so differently. While conditions on Earth allowed life to flourish, it seems that Venus may have experienced a dramatic climate change at some point in its history, leaving it with a toxic atmosphere, and an intensely hot, high-pressure surface.Despite a fleet of spacecraft visiting the planet since the 1960s, many open questions remain. The European Space Agency’s Envision is heading to Venus in the 2030s to provide the most comprehensive study of the planet yet. It is set to investigate the planet’s many unsolved mysteries, from the makeup of its interior and possible volcanic activity, to intriguing processes in the atmosphere.
From Venus Express to Envision: European Venus exploration
The European Space Agency’s landmark Venus Express mission, which orbited the planet from 2006 to 2014, was Europe’s first mission to Venus. Its discoveries answered many questions, especially concerning the planet’s atmosphere.Still, many mysteries remain, in particular around the planet’s geological history and activity. Envision, with its next-generation suite of instruments, is set to pick up the story.
Envision in depth
In-depth information about the science and technology aspects of the mission
