Studying Venus from atmosphere to core, VERITAS will seek answers to many of the lingering questions about Earth's sister world. Does Venus have Earth-like continents that formed in the presence of water? Is its volcanism continuous, or does it come and go? Does the planet have plate tectonics? The mission will provide powerful insights about the interior of Venus that help us better understand our own planet. It will also help researchers refine models of rocky exoplanets – planets outside our solar system.

Science results from VERITAS will lay a foundation for other NASA and European missions planned for the next decade, while also identifying high-value landing sites and targets for focused observations by future missions.

Learn more ›

Venus Surface This artist’s concept illustrates a region of Venus that may have active volcanism and subduction, where the surface is sinking into the mantle. The foreground shows rocks low in iron that are similar to Earth’s granite-rich continents. VERITAS will help determine whether these conditions exist on Venus. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Peter Rubin