During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Europe, space collaboration received a significant enhancement as Sweden officially joined India’s orbiter mission to Venus by signing a cooperation agreement. Concurrently, the Norwegian Space Agency entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), aiming to deepen space cooperation between the two nations.
As part of the Venus mission, known as ‘Shukrayaan,’ the Swedish Institute of Space Physics will develop a scientific instrument called the Venusian Neutrals Analyser (VNA), which will be onboard India’s Venus orbiter. The VNA is designed to study the interaction between charged particles from the Sun and Venus’s atmosphere and exosphere. The Indian spacecraft is scheduled to undertake a 112-day journey to reach Venus by July 2028.
Speaking during an event attended by PM Modi on May 17, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed pride in collaborating with India on this mission. “Sweden is proud to be on our way to Venus with India,” he stated, emphasizing the historical context of cooperation between ISRO and Sweden’s National Space Agency, which has been ongoing since the 1980s.
The Venus orbiter mission was approved by the Indian cabinet in 2024 with a budget of ₹1,236 crore. It entails launching the spacecraft aboard an LVM-3 rocket into an initial elliptical orbit before it transitions into a Venusian orbit with a periapsis of 500 kilometers and an apoapsis of 60,000 kilometers. The mission will carry a total of 19 payloads, which will include both Indian and international scientific instruments. The Preliminary Design Review was completed in April 2026.
Through this initiative, ISRO aims to investigate various aspects of Venus, such as its dense atmosphere, volcanic surface, weather systems, and peculiar super-rotating clouds. Researchers also seek to determine whether Venus had conditions suitable for liquid water in the past, before transforming into its current extreme greenhouse state.
Regarding the MoU between ISRO and the Norwegian Space Agency, PM Modi expressed gratitude for Norway’s support of India’s Arctic research station, Himadri, and remarked that the agreement marks a new chapter in space cooperation. He noted, “Through deeper collaboration in these fields, our scientists will contribute towards understanding climate change, protecting fragile ecosystems, and securing humanity’s future. India and Norway’s Green Strategic Partnership will benefit the entire world.”
