Nasa has announced that it is sending two new missions to Venus in order to examine the planet’s atmosphere and geological features.

The missions, which have each been awarded $500m (£352m) in funding, are due to launch between 2028 and 2030.

Nasa administrator Bill Nelson said the missions would offer the “chance to investigate a planet we haven’t been to in more than 30 years”.

The last US probe to visit the planet was the Magellan orbiter in 1990.

However, other spacecraft – from Europe and Japan – have orbited the planet since then.

The missions were picked following a peer review process and were chosen based on their potential scientific value and the feasibility of their development plans.