Deep Atmosphere of Venus Probe as a Mission Priority for the Upcoming Decade

TL;DR

This white paper advocates for prioritized deep atmosphere in situ missions to Venus within the next decade, aiming to uncover its evolutionary history, current volcanic activity, and potential habitability, with broader implications for exoplanet studies.

Contribution

It highlights the feasibility and importance of deploying probe-based in situ missions to Venus's deep atmosphere to address key scientific questions and connect planetary science with exoplanet research.

Findings

Deep atmosphere exploration can reveal Venus's evolution and habitability.

In situ missions are feasible before 2030 with current technology.

Results will inform understanding of exoplanets similar to Venus.

Abstract

This is a white paper submitted to the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey. The deep atmosphere of Venus is largely unexplored and yet may harbor clues to the evolutionary pathways for a major silicate planet with implications across the solar system and beyond. In situ data is needed to resolve significant open questions related to the evolution and present-state of Venus, including questions of Venus' possibly early habitability and current volcanic outgassing. Deep atmosphere "probe-based" in situ missions carrying analytical suites of instruments are now implementable in the upcoming decade (before 2030), and will both reveal answers to fundamental questions on Venus and help connect Venus to exoplanet analogs to be observed in the JWST era of astrophysics.