Two new missions to Venus, announced by NASA

NASA has announced on Wednesday that it is sending two new missions to Venus in order to examine the planet's atmosphere and geological features.

Bill Nelson, the agency's newly-confirmed administrator, said that the two sister missions, both aim to understand that how Venus became an inferno-like world, capable of melting lead at the surface. He also said that the missions would offer the chance to investigate a planet NASA haven't been to in more than 30 years. The missions, who have each been awarded $500m (£352m) in funding, are due to launch between 2028 and 2030. The last US probe to visit the planet was the Magellan orbiter in 1990.

Both missions were picked following a competitive, peer-reviewed process based on their scientific value and feasibility of their plans.

The Davinci+ (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) mission aims to measure the planet's atmosphere to gain insight into how it formed and evolved. It will also aim to determine whether Venus ever had an ocean or not.

Davinci+ is expected to return the first high resolution images of the planet's "tesserae" geological features. Scientists believe these features could be comparable to continents on Earth and could suggest that Venus has plate tectonics.

The other mission is called VERITAS, an acronym for Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy. This will aim to map the Venusian surface from orbit and delve into the planet's geologic history. Using a form of radar that is used to create three-dimensional constructions, it will chart surface elevations and confirm whether volcanoes and earthquakes are still happening on the planet. It will also use infrared scanning to determine rock type, which is largely unknown, and whether active volcanoes are releasing water vapour into the atmosphere.

"It is astounding how little we know about Venus, but the combined results of these missions will tell us about the planet from the clouds in its sky through the volcanoes on its surface all the way down to its very core," said Tom Wagner, NASA's Discovery Program scientist.

"It will be as if we have rediscovered the planet”, he added.