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.

Venus Life Finder Missions Motivation and Summary

“…While NASA and ESA have recently selected missions to visit the 2020s (VERITAS [18], DAVINCI [19], and EnVision [20]), these mis studies about the planet's properties and do not address the habitabili questions targeted by the VLF missions. The VLF series of missions (described in [14] and in companion papers in the same issue [15][16][17]) are directly formulated to assess the habitability of Venusian clouds and to search for signs of life and life itself (Table 1). The VLF missions are a focused set of missions for which the first two can be launched quickly and executed with relatively low cost.…”

“…Missions: RL = Rocket Lab Mission, HAB = VLF Venus Habitability Mission, VAIHL = VLF Venus Airborne Investigation of Habitability and Life Mission. See also [14] and companion VLF papers in the same Special Issue [15][16][17]. Remarkably, it has been nearly 40 years since the last Venus in situ measurements.…”

“…The VLF series of missions (described in [14] and in companion papers in the same issue [15][16][17]) are directly formulated to assess the habitability of Venusian clouds and to search for signs of life and life itself (Table 1). The VLF missions are a focused set of missions for which the first two can be launched quickly and executed with relatively low cost.…”

Venus Life Finder Habitability Mission: Motivation, Science Objectives, and Instrumentation

“…The Venus Habitability Mission instrument suite can be hosted by a variety of mission architectures. Companion papers to this article describe the mission architectures [33] and aerial platforms [48], which are summarized here.…”

“…This fixed-altitude balloon and mini probes discussed here are described in [22,33]. Aerial platform considerations are described in [48]. The mission duration can potentially be extended to up to a month, depending on power availability, permeation of the lifting gas, and survivability of the balloon and associated payloads.…”