NASA gets ready to head to Venus - first time in decades - with two new missions SECTIONS Last Updated: Jun 03, 2021, 08:52 AM IST Share iStock Earth's closest planetary neighbour and the second planet from the sun, Venus is similar in structure but slightly smaller than Earth, with a diameter of about 7,500 miles (12,000 km). LOS ANGELES: NASA on Wednesday announced plans to launch two new scientific missions to Venus between 2028 and 2030 - its first in decades - to study the atmosphere and geologic features of Earth's so-called sister planet. The U.S. space agency said it was awarding about $500 million for development of each of the two missions, dubbed DAVINCI+ (short for Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble Gases, Chemistry and Imaging) and