The European Space Agency (ESA) will move forward with its Envision mission to Venus without a key radar instrument from NASA, following budget concerns within the US agency. Envision aims to map the Venusian surface with greater detail than previous missions and investigate potential volcanic activity.
NASA officials determined they were unlikely to fulfill a commitment to provide a US-built synthetic aperture radar instrument for the Envision spacecraft, according to Envision project scientist. The instrument was intended to be Envision’s primary means of mapping the surface of Venus. In 2024, NASA and ESA signed a memorandum of understanding outlining a partnership where NASA would supply the radar instrument, provide tracking and communications support through NASA’s Deep Space Network, and ESA would build the spacecraft, other science instruments, and provide the launch on an Ariane 6 rocket. In exchange, ESA would include US researchers on Envision’s science team.
The decision stems from budgetary pressures on NASA’s science missions, particularly due to proposed cuts from the Trump administration. While Congress rejected most of the proposed cuts for fiscal year 2026, approving $2.54 billion for NASA’s planetary science division, this was still approximately $220 million less than the previous year’s funding. This shortfall saved NASA’s DAVINCI Venus mission, but is forcing NASA managers to make tough decisions regarding funding for operating missions and international partnerships.
NASA’s primary targets for cuts in science are funding for operating missions, especially those beyond their original design lives, and support for partnerships on international missions.
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