Future Exploration
The Venus Express spacecraft is now in orbit around the planet, probing deeper into the atmosphere using infrared imaging spectroscopy in the 1–5 µm spectral range. The JAXA probe Akatsuki which was launched in May 2010 was intended to study the planet for a period of two years, including the structure and activity of the atmosphere, but it failed to enter Venus orbit in December 2010. One of its five cameras known as the "IR2" will be able to measure the atmosphere of the planet underneath its thick clouds, in addition to its movement and distribution of trace components. With a varied orbit from 300 to 60,000 km, it will be able to take close-up photographs of the planet, and should also confirm the presence of both active volcanoes as well as lightning.
The Venus In-Situ Explorer, proposed by NASA's New Frontiers program is a proposed probe which would aid in understanding the processes on the planet that led to climate change, as well as paving the way towards a later sample return mission.
Another craft called the Venus Mobile Explorer has been proposed by the Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG) to study the composition and isotopic measurements of the surface and the atmosphere, for about 90 days. A launch date has not yet been set.
Read more about this topic: Atmosphere Of Venus
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