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NASA's first Venus missions in a generation are moving forward

NASA officials say the agency is hiring and speeding up work on its first Venus missions in decades; the planet remains famously hostile to visitors.

On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on The Five O'Clock
Published 5:38 PM ET, Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Photo: ESO/Y. Beletsky · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

▶ As it aired · Tech

Watch it as it aired: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on this story, from The Five O'Clock at 5:38 PM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Ars Technica's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: ESO/Y. Beletsky · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

Photo: Venus — Photo: ESO/Y. Beletsky · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

At a glance

First reported by Ars Technica: “Things are finally looking up for NASA's first missions to Venus in a generation”.
Covered on BBN on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at 5:38 PM ET on The Five O'Clock, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

Ars TechnicaThings are finally looking up for NASA's first missions to Venus in a generation

What BBN said about it

Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentNASA's first Venus missions in a generation are moving forward, and one official says they're staffing up and accelerating.

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