India's Venus orbiter mission ‘Shukrayaan’ is to onboard Sweden to explore the planet with a scientific instrument. Ambassador of Sweden to India, Klas Molin said Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) is engaged in the venture, its second collaborative project with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). "IRF's satellite instrument Venusian Neutrals Analyzer (VNA) will study how the charged particles from the Sun interact with the atmosphere and exosphere of the planet", he told.
The swedish officials said VNA would be the ninth generation of IRF's series of small ion and ENA (Energetic Neutral Atoms) instruments. The first generation was named SARA (Sub-keV Atom Reflecting Analyzer) consists of two sensors was launched onboard the Indian spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 that explored the Moon in 2008-2009. On collaboration with India in the field of space, Molin said India has a clear ambition to explore the universe, other planets and to send humans to space.
He added that the unique Space Tech Testbed capability at Esrange can also carry out even more advanced tests of equipment and technologies that should be used in exploration campaigns. The reforms by India like creating National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) enabling private companies to use Indian space infrastructure boosts private sector participation in the entire range of space activities. ISRO says 20 space-based experiment proposals from different countries were short listed for its proposed Venus mission to study the planet for more than four years. They include "collaborative contributions" from Russia, France, Sweden and Germany. ISRO official said the planned first mission to Venus in June 2023 may get postponed to 2024 or 2026 due to pandemic.
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