MOSCOW, September 15. /TASS/: Chemical substances found through long-distance astronomical observation of Venus cannot conclusively prove there is life on the planet, Roscosmos Executive Director for Long-Term Programs and Science Alexander Bloshenko said.
"The discovery of chemical substances that can be considered chemical markers of vital functions in the atmosphere of Venus through long-distance astronomical monitoring cannot be seen as objective proof of life on the planet," Bloshenko said, quoted by the Roscosmos website.
According to the expert, verified research data regarding life on Venus can be acquired only through on-site exploration of the planet’s surface and atmosphere.
Earlier, several media outlets reported that an international group of researchers had found phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus. Phosphine is a colorless poisonous gas that can be of an industrial and biological origin. On Earth, it is often produced by certain types of bacteria.
Roscosmos also informed that the state corporation had developed a joint Venus exploration program along with the Russian Academy of Sciences. The program will consist of several missions. "Besides, it was decided to implement the earlier planned "Venera-D" mission, which includes landing and orbital modules, as an independent national project without wide international cooperation," the message runs.
"As part of the comprehensive planetary research, we will study the soil and atmosphere samples and explore the nature of Venus’ evolution processes. It was claimed that the planet had gone through a climate disaster related to the greenhouse effect which is often discussed in relation to Earth now," the state corporation pointed out.
