ESA to Proceed with Venus Mission Alone After NASA Withdraws Radar Instrument

The European Space Agency (ESA) plans to move forward with its Venus mission independently after NASA decided to pull its radar instrument from the collaboration. The withdrawal is linked to broader budget and policy shifts under the current White House administration, which has been scaling back certain NASA international partnerships. ESA is now exploring alternative options, including a potential collaboration with China, to fill the gap left by NASA's exit. The development highlights growing uncertainty around US participation in joint space science missions amid shifting federal priorities.