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Astronomy One World Essay

Throughout the late 20
th
century, many have debated the value of space exploration.
The CSA, however, believe that the exploration of the universe is important to our future.
Specifically, the planet to research now is Venus. Venus holds many traits that resemble Earth,
thus, learning about Venus will help the CSA understand more about Earth. At the end of the
mission, scientists will have updated data of Venus and will be able to predict whether Earth is
going to have a similar fate as Venus.
Venus was chosen by the CSA primarily due to its likeness to Earth. Venus, the second
planet from the sun, is also the closest planet to Earth, only 38 million kilometers away.
Similarities that these planets share are its rock composition, mass, radius, volume and density;
Venus and Earth are even called twin sisters. Despite the resemblance, there is one major
difference: Venuss surface temperature is about 462 degrees Celsius whereas Earths surface
temperature is 14 degrees Celsius. The reasons why Venus is significantly warmer than Earth is
because it is closer to the sun than Earth and has a denser atmosphere. As a result, the surface
of Venus is completely different from Earths, showing signs of violent volcanic eruptions and
lava. Science Daily, however, states Venus may have once been habitable and had lots of water.
Because of the similarities and differences, it is hypothesized that Venus was once like Earth
and Earth may become like Venus.
The intended spacecraft will be similar to the spacecraft used in the Magellan mission to
Venus, with a few major differences such as updated technology (e.g., a higher resolution
orbiting image radar). The mission will also commence in an order that is similar to the
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Magellan mission. First, the spacecraft will be launched and eventually make its way into
Venuss orbit. There, it will retrieve images to make a map using the orbiting image radar. The
probe will then descend into Venuss atmosphere. Like the in the Magellan mission, the
spacecraft will then carry out what NASA describes as an intentional crash, plunging into the
surface of Venus. Some of the portions of the spacecraft will be destroyed, while some will also
remain intact. During this process, the probe will gather more information about the surface
and atmosphere that it would not be able to gain otherwise. The images of Venuss surface will
show Venuss approximate age, past volcano eruptions and signs of wind erosion. Comparing
this information with Magellans data created two decades ago can reveal what kinds of
changes has occurred on Venus since then, such as if Venus has been increasing in
temperature.
The exploration of Venus will benefit the understanding of the environment. Besides
being closer to the sun, Venus is hotter than Earth because of its atmosphere which is mainly
made up of carbon dioxide. This gas creates a greenhouse effect, sealing in heat as it tries to
escape the surface. It is like an extreme version of global warming and, if this missions is
successful, the CSA will be able to gain more knowledge on the matter. This can be key in
determining whether or not Earth will become like Venus in the future and help us gain
awareness towards global warming. In addition, if this is true, economically, more money
should be invested into space programs and exploration to find another habitable planet.
The CSA has chosen Venus as it is Earths double. Information gathered from the fiery
twin will advance our comprehension of the universe. This mission will provide awareness for
issues such as global warming and the debate to invest money in further exploration, and
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produce updated data of Venus. Overall, the mission will indicate if there are more patterns
and relations between Earth and Venus and suggest if Earth can expect a future comparable to
Venuss.















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Works Cited
Magellan. (n.d.). - Venus Mission. Retrieved January 19, 2014, from
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/details.php?id=5896
European Space Agency (2010, June 24). Was Venus once a habitable planet?.
ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 19, 2014, from http://www.sciencedaily.com
/releases/2010/06/100624091753.htm.