Rocket Lab plans private Venus mission for 2026

Rocket Lab is preparing the first private mission to Venus, using its Photon spacecraft and a new heat shield called HEEET. This shield can withstand extreme temperatures up to 4,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Engineers at NASA's Ames Research Center are making progress on the heat shield installation. The mission aims to study Venus' cloud layer, focusing on potential organic molecules. The launch, originally planned for January 2025, has been postponed to summer 2026. The spacecraft will now be launched on Rocket Lab's Neutron booster instead of the Electron launcher.