New U.K. Mission Could Prove Signs Of Alien Life On Venus
Is there life on Venus? A new space mission led by the U.K. could soon answer one of the most tantalizing questions in planetary science by seeking to confirm whether alien microbes are producing trace gases in the planet's atmosphere.
The proposal is from the same scientists that first detected phosphine (PH3) in the Venusian atmosphere in 2020, detected it again in 2023, then found ammonia (NH3) in 2024. The mission, called VERVE (the Venus Explorer for Reduced Vapours in the Environment), was revealed at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting 2025 in Durham, U.K., this week.
It comes as the Trump Administration's proposed budget cuts could spell the end of NASA's DAVINCI mission, an orbiter and atmospheric probe that was due to launch in 2030 and could have detected phosphine and ammonia.
Life on Venus: Phosphine And Ammonia
Phosphine and ammonia are potential biomarkers — signs of microbial life. On Earth, these two gases can only be produced by biological activity and industrial processes. The discovery has fueled speculation about potential life in the planet's upper atmosphere.
'Our latest data has found more evidence of ammonia on Venus, with the potential for it to exist in the habitable parts of the planet's clouds,' said Jane Greaves, a professor at Cardiff University in Wales, U.K., who made the original detection of phosphine at Venus. 'There are no known chemical processes for the production of either ammonia or phosphine, so the only way to know for sure what is responsible for them is to go there.'
Life on Venus: VERVE Mission
The proposed VERVE mission would comprise a probe about the size of a CubeSat that would piggyback aboard the European Space Agency's EnVision mission — a Venus oprbiter — which is slated for launch in 2031.
With a projected budget of $58 million, VERVE would detach from EnVision on arrival and conduct an independent atmospheric survey. Its primary goal would be to map the presence and distribution of phosphine, ammonia, and other hydrogen-rich gases.
'The hope is that we can establish whether the gases are abundant or in trace amounts and whether their source is on the planetary surface, for example, in the form of volcanic ejecta,' said Greaves. 'Or whether there is something in the atmosphere, potentially microbes that are producing ammonia to neutralize the acid in the Venusian clouds.'
Life on Venus: Controversy
The initial detection of phosphine is part of the JCMT-Venus project, which aims to study the molecular content of Venus' atmosphere using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii. It was controversial, with researchers later confirming that the gas's presence varied with time and location — often disappearing during daylight, suggesting it was broken down by sunlight. 'This may explain some of the apparently contradictory studies and is not a surprise given that many other chemical species, like sulfur dioxide and water, have varying abundances and may eventually give us clues to how phosphine is produced,' said Dr. Dave Clements, of Imperial College London, who is the leader of the JCMT-Venus project.
Life on Venus: Context
The temperature on the surface of Venus is around 842 degrees Fahrenheit (450 degrees Celsius), but at an altitude of around 31 miles (50 kilometers), it can be as cold as 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), with atmospheric pressure similar to that of Earth's surface. It's thought that 'extremophile' microbes could potentially thrive in these temperate cloud layers.
Whether gases are signs of biological activity or an unknown chemical process, researchers say only a dedicated probe can provide answers.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
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