Sweden and Norway Partner with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for Space Cooperation

Key facts

• Sweden has joined India's Venus orbiter mission, popularly known as Shukrayaan, with the Swedish Institute of Space Physics developing the Venusian Neutrals Analyser (VNA) to study the interaction of solar charged particles with the atmosphere and exosphere of Venus.
• Approved in 2024 with an outlay of ₹1,236 crore, the mission will launch a spacecraft via an LVM-3 rocket on a 112-day journey, expected to reach the planet by July 2028.
• The spacecraft will carry 19 payloads and settle into a Venusian orbit with a periapsis of 500 km and an apoapsis of 60,000 km, following the completion of its Preliminary Design Review in April 2026.
• The mission's objectives include studying Venus' dense atmosphere, volcanic surface, weather systems, super-rotating clouds, and investigating if the planet once possessed conditions suitable for liquid water.
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Norwegian Space Agency to enhance cooperation in understanding climate change and protecting fragile ecosystems under the India and Norway's Green Strategic Partnership.