NASA's DAVINCI mission is poised to answer one of the biggest questions about our planetary neighbor: Did Venus once have oceans and continents, much like Earth? Scheduled for launch in the early 2030s,

Due to launch in the early 2030s, NASA's DAVINCI mission will investigate whether Venus—a sweltering world wrapped in an atmosphere of noxious gases—once had oceans and continents like Earth.

NASA's DAVINCI mission set for the early 2030s aims to explore Venus’ Alpha Regio, presumed to be an ancient continent, by capturing high-resolution images beneath the planet’s thick clouds. The mission employs modern technology and re-analysed historical data to understand Venus' geological history and investigate whether it once had oceans and life-supporting conditions.

The mission, consisting of a flyby spacecraft and a descent probe, will focus on the enigmatic Alpha Regio, a mountainous region believed to be an ancient continent.