The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has issued a call for research proposals from the Indian scientific community for its upcoming Venus Orbiter Mission, Shukrayaan. This initiative is aimed at deepening India’s role in planetary science while also mobilising the country’s research base to engage with existing and future Venus mission data.

Unlike past exploratory proposals that relied solely on forthcoming mission payloads, this new call emphasises the use of archival data from previous international Venus missions. ISRO aims to maximise scientific return by encouraging Indian researchers to analyse rich datasets collected by earlier missions, including observations by NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, and JAXA.

The scope of proposals covers a wide range of Venusian studies. ISRO has identified morphology, surface topography, atmospheric dynamics, ionospheric interactions, and subsurface exploration as the key thematic areas. Research in these domains seeks to address critical knowledge gaps about Venus’s geology, climate, and space environment.

Proposals must be submitted by November 15, 2025, giving research institutions six weeks to prepare their applications. ISRO has underscored that selected projects will need to conform to a three-year timeline, ensuring timely delivery of outcomes that align with the progression of the Shukrayaan program.

ISRO has committed to providing financial assistance and academic backing for approved projects. The funding framework will support research costs, data processing, and analytical tools, with a view to enabling broad participation from universities, research centres, and specialised scientific groups across India.

This initiative is strategically designed to build a larger knowledge base within India’s planetary research ecosystem. By tapping into archival Venus data while preparing for Shukrayaan’s new datasets, ISRO aims to create an integrated approach to planetary exploration, much like its efforts in previous missions such as Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Mission.

With Shukrayaan, India is poised to join the exclusive global club of nations dedicated to Venusian studies. This research call ensures that India’s scientific community not only contributes to the forthcoming orbital exploration but also leverages past missions to generate complementary insights for the international space community.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)