NASA may not be able to move forward with all three of its planned Venus missions as budget pressures force difficult trade-offs across its planetary science portfolio.
The Envision mission, which began construction in 2025, is designed to map Venus' surface and atmosphere in detail from orbit. It is one of three major missions underpinning what scientists have described as a "decade of Venus" exploration, alongside the NASA-led DAVINCI and VERITAS missions.
NASA's role in a planned Europe-led mission to Venus remains uncertain as budget pressures drive "hard strategic choices" about which missions will be able to continue, Louise Prockter, director of NASA's planetary science division, said on Monday (March 16).
