New-Frontiers (NF) Class In-Situ Exploration of Venus: The Venus Climate and Geophysics Mission Concept

Kevin Baines , Alexander Akins , David H. Atkinson , Sushil Atreya , Mark Bullock , Kar-Ming Cheung , James A. Cutts , Len Dorsky , Darby Dyar , Raphael Garcia , Robert Grimm , Maxim de Jong , Jeffery Hall , Joern Helbert , Gary Hunter , Kandis Lea Jessup , Armin Kleinboehl , Attila Komjathy , Sebastien Lebonnois , Phillippe Lognonne (1) , Kevin Mcgouldrick , David Mimoun , Olivier Mousis (2) , Dragan Nikolic , Joseph G. O'Rourke , Michael T. Pauken , Jean-Baptiste Renard , Sara Seager , Nicolas Verdier , Panagiotis Vergados , Colin Wilson , Yuk L. Yung

1 IPGP (UMR_7154) - Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
2 AMU - Aix Marseille Université

More than 85% of the 23 investigations developed by VEXAG are largely accomplished via a NF mission centered on a variable-altitude balloon (aerobot) supported by a science/comm orbiter. Circling Venus >15 times over ~90 days, the aerobot repeatedly visits 52-62 km alts as it semi-continuously samples a host of environmental & surface parameters.

Domains: Sciences of the Universe [physics]

Kevin Baines, Alexander Akins, David H. Atkinson, Sushil Atreya, Mark Bullock, et al.. New-Frontiers (NF) Class In-Situ Exploration of Venus: The Venus Climate and Geophysics Mission Concept. Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032 white paper e-id. 346; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 0000, à renseigner, Unknown Region. ⟨10.3847/25c2cfeb.08e447f4⟩. ⟨insu-03590059⟩