Aerial Platform Design Options for a Life-Finding Mission at Venus

Abstract

Mounting evidence of chemical disequilibria in the Venusian atmosphere has heightened interest in the search for life within the planet's cloud decks. Balloon systems are currently considered to be the superior class of aerial platform for extended atmospheric sampling within the clouds, providing the highest ratio of science return to risk. Balloon-based aerial platform designs depend heavily on payload mass and target altitudes. We present options for constant- and variable-altitude balloon systems designed to carry out science operations inside the Venusian cloud decks. The Venus Life Finder (VLF) mission study proposes a series of missions that require extended in situ analysis of Venus cloud material. We provide an overview of a representative mission architecture, as well as gondola designs to accommodate a VLF instrument suite. Current architecture asserts a launch date of 30 July 2026, which would place an orbiter and entry vehicle at Venus as early as November 29 of that same year.

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)

References in corpus (7)

• Phosphine Gas in the Cloud Decks of Venus
• Revealing the Mysteries of Venus: The DAVINCI Mission
• The Venusian Lower Atmosphere Haze as a Depot for Desiccated Microbial Life: A Proposed Life Cycle for Persistence of the Venusian Aerial Biosphere
• Venus' Mass Spectra Show Signs of Disequilibria in the Middle Clouds
• Production of Ammonia Makes Venusian Clouds Habitable and Explains Observed Cloud-Level Chemical Anomalies
• Mission Architecture to Characterize Habitability of Venus Cloud Layers via an Aerial Platform
• Venusian phosphine: a 'Wow!' signal in chemistry?

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Venus Life Finder Missions Motivation and Summary
• Stability of nucleic acid bases in concentrated sulfuric acid: Implications for the habitability of Venus' clouds
• Astrobiological Potential of Venus Atmosphere Chemical Anomalies and Other Unexplained Cloud Properties
• Venus Life Finder Habitability Mission: Motivation, Science Objectives, and Instrumentation
• Direct In-Situ Capture, Separation and Visualization of Biological Particles with Fluid-Screen in the Context of Venus Life Finder Mission Concept Study