Terrestrial Planets Comparative Climatology (TPCC) mission concept

TL;DR

The TPCC mission concept proposes simultaneous, comparable atmospheric studies of Venus and Mars using identical instruments to better understand planetary atmospheres and their responses to solar forcing.

Contribution

This paper introduces a novel mission concept for comparative climatology of Venus and Mars, emphasizing simultaneous observations with standardized instrumentation.

Findings

Supports the scientific value of comparative atmospheric studies

Proposes a feasible mission concept for next decade

Aims to reduce instrument-related variability in planetary data

Abstract

The authors and co-signers of the Terrestrial Planets Comparative Climatology (TPCC) mission concept white paper advocate that planetary science in the next decade would greatly benefit from comparatively studying the fundamental behavior of the atmospheres of Venus and Mars, contemporaneously and with the same instrumentation, to capture atmospheric response to the same solar forcing, and with a minimum of instrument-related variability. Thus, this white paper was created for the 2023-2032 Planetary Science Decadal Survey process. It describes the science rationale for such a mission, and a mission concept that could achieve such a mission.