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Venus Evolution Through Time: Key Science Questions, Selected Mission Concepts and Future Investigations
Korablev, Oleg; Marcq, Emmanuel; Hensley, Scott +42 more
In this work we discuss various selected mission concepts addressing Venus evolution through time. More specifically, we address investigations and payload instrument concepts supporting scientific goals and open questions presented in the companion articles of this volume. Also included are their related investigations (observations & modelin…
Mineralogy of the Venus Surface
Gilmore, Martha S.; Ghail, Richard; Helbert, Jörn +6 more
Surface mineralogy records the primary composition, climate history and the geochemical cycling between the surface and atmosphere. We have not yet directly measured mineralogy on the Venus surface in situ, but a variety of independent investigations yield a basic understanding of surface composition and weathering reactions in the present era whe…
Clouds and Hazes of Venus
Titov, Dmitrij V.; Ignatiev, Nikolay I.; Wilson, Colin F. +2 more
More than three decades have passed since the publication of the last review of the Venus clouds and hazes. The paper published in 1983 in the Venus book summarized the discoveries and findings of the US Pioneer Venus and a series of Soviet Venera spacecraft (Esposito et al. in Venus, p. 484, 1983). Due to the emphasis on in-situ investigations fr…
Composition and Chemistry of the Neutral Atmosphere of Venus
Marcq, Emmanuel; Vandaele, Ann Carine; Parkinson, Christopher D. +1 more
This paper deals with the composition and chemical processes occurring in the neutral atmosphere of Venus. Since the last synthesis, observers as well as modellers have emphasised the spatial and temporal variability of minor species, going beyond a static and uniform picture that may have prevailed in the past. The outline of this paper acknowled…
Venus: The Atmosphere, Climate, Surface, Interior and Near-Space Environment of an Earth-Like Planet
Head, James W.; Taylor, Fredric W.; Svedhem, Håkan
This is a review of current knowledge about Earth's nearest planetary neighbour and near twin, Venus. Such knowledge has recently been extended by the European Venus Express and the Japanese Akatsuki spacecraft in orbit around the planet; these missions and their achievements are concisely described in the first part of the review, along with a su…
Venus Interior Structure and Dynamics
Sotin, Christophe; Smrekar, Suzanne E.; Davaille, Anne
No two rocky bodies offer a better laboratory for exploring the conditions controlling interior dynamics than Venus and Earth. Their similarities in size, density, distance from the sun, and young surfaces would suggest comparable interior dynamics. Although the two planets exhibit some of the same processes, Venus lacks Earth's dominant process f…
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) Science Ground Segment (SGS)
Metcalfe, L.; Geiger, B.; Lim, T. +19 more
The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) Science Ground Segment (SGS), comprised of payload Instrument Team, ESA and Russian operational centres, is responsible for planning the science operations of the TGO mission and for the generation and archiving of the scientific data products to levels meeting the scientific aims and criteria specified by the E…
The Atmospheric Dynamics of Venus
Sánchez-Lavega, Agustín; Imamura, Takeshi; Lebonnois, Sebastien +2 more
We review our current knowledge of the atmospheric dynamics of Venus prior to the Akatsuki mission, in the altitude range from the surface to approximately the cloud tops located at about 100 km altitude. The three-dimensional structure of the wind field in this region has been determined with a variety of techniques over a broad range of spatial …
Solar Wind Interaction and Impact on the Venus Atmosphere
Barabash, Stas; Stenberg Wieser, Gabriella; Futaana, Yoshifumi +1 more
Venus has intrigued planetary scientists for decades because of its huge contrasts to Earth, in spite of its nickname of "Earth's Twin". Its invisible upper atmosphere and space environment are also part of the larger story of Venus and its evolution. In 60s to 70s, several missions (Venera and Mariner series) explored Venus-solar wind interaction…
Venus Surface Composition Constrained by Observation and Experiment
Helbert, Jörn; Gilmore, Martha; Treiman, Allan +1 more
New observations from the Venus Express spacecraft as well as theoretical and experimental investigation of Venus analogue materials have advanced our understanding of the petrology of Venus melts and the mineralogy of rocks on the surface. The VIRTIS instrument aboard Venus Express provided a map of the southern hemisphere of Venus at ∼1 µm…