Regular, low-cost Decadal-class science missions to planetary destinations will be enabled by high-{\Delta}V small spacecraft, such as the high-energy Photon, and small launch vehicles, such as Electron, to support expanding opportunities for scientists and to increase the rate of science return. The Rocket Lab mission to Venus is a small direct entry probe planned for baseline launch in May 2023 with accommodation for a single ~1 kg instrument. A backup launch window is available in January 2025. The probe mission will spend about 5 min in the Venus cloud layers at 48-60 km altitude above the surface and collect in situ measurements. We have chosen a low-mass, low-cost autofluorescing nephelometer to search for organic molecules in the cloud particles and constrain the particle composition.
@article{arxiv.2208.07724,
title = {Rocket Lab Mission to Venus},
author = {Richard French and Christophe Mandy and Richard Hunter and Ehson Mosleh and Doug Sinclair and Peter Beck and Sara Seager and Janusz J. Petkowski and Christopher E. Carr and David H. Grinspoon and Darrel Baumgardner},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2208.07724},
year = {2022}
}
Comments
Based on the text of the Venus Life Finder Mission Study report (arXiv:2112.05153). Published in Aerospace as a part of the Special Issue "The Search for Signs of Life on Venus: Science Objectives and Mission Designs" (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/aerospace/special_issues/Search_Life_Venus_Science_Objectives_Mission_Designs). arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2112.05153