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

TL;DR

This paper explores various balloon-based aerial platform designs for Venus's cloud decks to enable extended in situ analysis of atmospheric life indicators, focusing on mission architecture and payload considerations.

Contribution

It introduces new constant- and variable-altitude balloon system options tailored for Venus cloud exploration and details a comprehensive mission architecture for the Venus Life Finder (VLF).

Findings

Proposed balloon designs optimize payload capacity for Venus cloud missions.

Outlined mission timeline with launch in 2026 and Venus arrival within months.

Provided detailed gondola and instrument suite configurations for VLF.

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.