Future of Venus Research and Exploration

• Published in: Space science reviews Vol. 214; no. 5; pp. 1 - 37
• Main Authors: Glaze, Lori S., Wilson, Colin F., Zasova, Liudmila V., Nakamura, Masato, Limaye, Sanjay
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Goddard Space Flight Center Springer 01.08.2018; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aeronautics; Aerospace Technology and Astronautics; Astrophysics and Astroparticles; Atmosphere; Atmospheric models; Atmospheric processes; Earth; Evolution; General circulation models; Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration; Mars; Missions; Moon; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Planetology; Remote sensing; Science; Solar system; Space Exploration and Astronautics; Space flight; Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics; Universe; Venus; Venus atmosphere; Venus III; Venus surface; Exploration; Space missions; Technology development; Venus
• ISSN: 0038-6308; 1572-9672
• DOI: 10.1007/s11214-018-0528-z

Despite the tremendous progress that has been made since the publication of the Venus II book in 1997, many fundamental questions remain concerning Venus' history, evolution and current geologic and atmospheric processes. The international science community has taken several approaches to prioritizing these questions, either through formal processes like the Planetary Decadal Survey in the United States and the Cosmic Vision in Europe, or informally through science definition teams utilized by Japan, Russia, and India. These questions are left to future investigators to address through a broad range of research approaches that include Earth-based observations, laboratory and modeling studies that are based on existing data, and new space flight missions. Many of the highest priority questions for Venus can be answered with new measurements acquired by orbiting or in situ missions that use current technologies, and several plausible implementation concepts have been studied and proposed for flight. However, observations needed to address some science questions pose substantial technological challenges, for example, long term survival on the surface of Venus and missions that require surface or controlled aerial mobility. Missions enabled by investments in these technologies will open the door to completely new ways of exploring Venus to provide unique insights into Venus's past and the processes at work today.