DAVINCI

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DAVINCI
DAVINCI Venus mission descent.jpg
Artist's concept of DAVINCI probe descent stages
Mission type Venus atmospheric probe
Operator NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Start of mission
Launch date 2021 (proposed)
Venus atmospheric probe

DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) is a proposed mission concept for an atmospheric probe to Venus.

DAVINCI would study the chemical composition of Venus' atmosphere during descent.[1][2] The DAVINCI probe would travel through the Venus atmosphere, sampling the air, and returning measurements down to the surface. These measurements are important to understanding the origin of the Venus atmosphere, how it has evolved, and how and why it is different from Earth and Mars. DAVINCI’s measurements would reveal the history of water on Venus and the chemical processes at work in the unexplored lower atmosphere. Before it reaches the surface, the DAVINCI probe would take the first ever photos of the planet’s intriguing, ridged terrain (“tesserae”) to explore its origin and tectonic, volcanic, and weathering history.

Overview

DAVINCI was selected on 30 September 2015 as one of five semifinalists to become Mission #13 of NASA’s Discovery Program.[3] The finalist will be chosen in late December 2016, or early January 2017, and must be ready to launch by the end of 2021.[4][5] NASA’s planned budget for Discovery Mission #13 is 450 million USD.

The DAVINCI principal investigator is Lori Glaze and the deputy principal investigator is James Garvin, both of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Objectives

Following five orbital missions to Venus (Venera 15, Venera 16, Magellan, Venus Express, Akatsuki) focused on remote sensing observations, DAVINCI would be the first probe since 1986 to target Venus’ atmosphere.[6] DAVINCI will directly measure the lower two-thirds of the atmospheric mass.

DAVINCI scientists will explore how Venus’ atmosphere formed and then changed over time, including what happened to its water. The findings will help scientists understand why Venus and Earth took such different paths as they matured, and will provide another point of comparison for studies of rocky planets in other star systems (exoplanets).

DAVINCI’s in situ measurements would answer multiple questions regarding Venus atmospheric composition as currently formulated for the National Research Council Planetary Science Decadal Survey’s Venus In Situ Explorer (VISE).

Goals

  • Atmospheric origin and evolution: Understand the origin of the Venus atmosphere, how it has evolved, and how and why it is different from the atmospheres of Earth and Mars.
  • Atmospheric composition and surface interaction: Understand the history of water on Venus and the chemical processes at work in the lower Venus atmosphere.
  • Surface properties: Provide insights into tessera origins and their tectonic, volcanic, and weathering history.

Scientific payload

DAVINCI is designed to address high-priority NASA decadal science by targeting noble gases, trace gases and their isotopes, as well as temperature, pressure, winds, and imaging at Venus.

Artist's conception of DAVINCI probe
During its 63-minute descent, DAVINCI would collect and return measurements of Venus’ atmospheric composition.

DAVINCI's Venus Analytic Laboratory (VAL) instruments would provide high-fidelity synergistic measurements throughout the probe’s descent, particularly in the upper clouds and the unexplored near-surface environment. VAL design is based on the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on the Curiosity rover, which measured the chemical and isotopic composition of the Martian atmosphere, and found the first definitive evidence of organics on Mars.[7] DAVINCI's four science instruments are:

Venus Mass Spectrometer (VMS)

Built by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), VMS would provide the first comprehensive in situ survey of noble and trace gases at Venus, and has the capability to discover new gas species in the Venusian atmosphere. VMS is similar to Curiosity's Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (QMS).

Venus Tunable Laser Spectrometer (VTLS)

Built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), VTLS would provide the first highly sensitive in situ measurements of targeted trace gases and associated isotope ratios at Venus, addressing key science questions about chemical processes in the upper clouds and the near-surface environment. VTLS is similar to Curiosity's Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS).

Venus Atmospheric Structure Investigation (VASI)

Built by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) using flight-proven sensors, VASI would provide measurements of the structure and dynamics of Venus’ atmosphere during entry and descent, providing context for chemistry measurements and enabling reconstruction of the probe’s descent.

Venus Descent Imager (VenDI)

Built by Malin Space Science Systems (MSS), VenDI would provide high-contrast images of the tessera terrain at the descent location. VenDI is similar to Curiosity's Mast Camera (Mastcam), Mars Descent Imager (MarDI), and Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI).

See also

References

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