New Delhi | The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the development of Venus Orbiter Mission for exploring and studying the planet.

The 'Venus Orbiter Mission' to be helmed by the Department of Space will involve placing a scientific spacecraft in the orbit of Venus for better understanding of its surface and subsurface, atmospheric processes and influence of the Sun on the Venusian atmosphere.

Venus, the closest planet to Earth and believed to have formed in conditions similar to Earth, offers a unique opportunity to understand how planetary environments can evolve very differently, a statement said.

The study of the underlying causes of the transformation of Venus, which is believed to be once habitable and quite similar to Earth, would be an invaluable aid in understanding the evolution of the sister planets, both Venus and Earth, it said.

The Cabinet has allocated Rs 1,236 crore for the mission, of which Rs 824 crore will be spent on the development of the spacecraft by the Indian Space Research Organisation.