As a result of the labyrinthine processes described in Chapter 16, we arrive at a ‘best guess’ for the near-term (next two decades, say) future of Venus exploration in the form of some combination of entry probes, balloons and landers. These will come from NASA and the European Space Agency, possibly in tandem but more likely not; and Venera-D from the Russians. Japan may try again to orbit Venus, and something from the Chinese and Indians cannot be ruled out, although they are more likely to focus on the Moon and Mars.

Such a programme is by no means assured, of course; there could be no new mission to Venus for 20 years, at the end of which time everything will have changed. It would be nice to think that several of the world’s space agencies might get together and pool their resources in the future, to mount a single large mission, perhaps sample return. However, history suggests a more fragmented approach can be expected, at best. Despite all of the uncertainty, we now look, in a spirit of optimism tempered with realism, more closely at the plans as they stand and will likely evolve in this possible multi-pronged attack on the remaining mysteries of Venus.