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NZSA Venus Mission is a small direct Venus entry probe with a single 1 kg low-mass, low-cost autofluorescing nephelometer riding on a satellite bus based on the Photon Upper stage of the Electron rocket. The probe mission will spend approximately 5 minutes in the Venus cloud layers, 48-60 km above the surface, collecting in situ measurements to search for organic molecules in cloud particles and constrain particle composition.
Limiting rule: No flight within 5 nmi of cloud associated with disturbed weather (moderate+ precip, freezing level penetration).
NWS forecast at 2026-07-22T13:00:00-04:00: 97% PoP · thunderstorms in short forecast · NWS sky 100% · PWAT 48 mm at T-0