Recap  and  Report  Status  

Workshop  Objec5ves    

(1)  Present,  discuss,  and  document  the  status  of  the  instrument  technologies  and  the  defini8on  of  new  instruments      (2)  Present,  discuss,  and  document  the  status  and  needs  of  laboratory  experiments  in  support  of  fundamental  science  as  well  as  mission  prepara8on    

•  The  objec8ves  will  be  worked  as  guided  by  the  recently  released  VEXAG  Goals  and  Objec8ves,  Pathways,  and  Technology  Plan  documents  

•  Builds  on  the  Targets  Workshop  held  in  2014  at  LPI  •  The  workshop  presenta8ons  and  discussions  will  form  the  basis  of  

referencable  papers  or  other  documents  4/7/2015   2  

Overall  Notables  •  In  all  areas;  surface,  atmosphere,  and  orbit  laboratory  experiments  are  needed  –  Basic  fundamental  research  

•  Thermal  and  spectral  proper5es  of  atmosphere  cons5tuents  •  NIR  emissivity  of  materials  •  Physical  proper5es  of  supercri5cal  phase  •  Effects  of  trace  species  

– Applica5on  and  interpreta5on  of  instruments/  measurements  •  Pressure  and  temperature  effects  on  instruments,  measurements,  and  interpreta5on  

4/7/2015   3  

Overall  Notables  •  Need  for  modelling  work    – Modelling  of  instrument  use  in  par5cular  physical  environment  

– Area  noted  for  more  focused  discussion  

•  Process:  Discussions  were  highly  valuable  – Raising  awareness  of  “new”  techniques,  capabili5es,  limita5ons  

– Significant  amount  of  cross  regime  synergy  4/7/2015   4  

Inputs  /  Comments  being  Sought  •  DraY  report  just  went  out  to  organizing  commi[ee  •  In  parallel  draY  is  being  made  available  on  VEXAG  website  for  larger  community  review  –  Looking  for  inputs  to  content,  what  may  be  missing,  or  general  sugges5ons  (end  of  CY)  

– AYer  report  complete  (LPSC)  will  be  focusing  on  making  informa5on  referenceable  •  Thoughts  or  ideas  on  where  /  how  to  do  that  are  welcome  •  Considering  NASA  TM  and  also  in  VEXAG  archives,    

4/7/2015   5  

Repor5ng  Goals  and  Status  

Jeff  Balcerski  /  NASA  GRC  

Workshop Product Goals •  Capture salient points of presentation and discussion during

discipline breakouts as recorded by student reporters

•  Form the basis of an action plan for the technical community and guidance for mission considerations

•  Identify outstanding needs for instrument development and laboratory measurements

•  Identify significant areas of overlap where technology development may have synergistic benefits to multiple Venus investigations

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Discipline Groups Organized by spacecraft operating environment

Orbital  and  

 Earth-­‐based  

Atmospheric  

Surface  

Orbital •  Significant flight heritage (spectrometers, radar, radio science)

–  Other instruments (i.e. LiDAR) need little maturation

•  Largest volume of existing data –  laboratory investigations are needed to enhance the science value

•  Future mission planning needs to be designed to observe dynamic behaviors of atmosphere and surface

•  Earth-based observations can also greatly contribute to dynamics and composition –  historically underutilized

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Atmospheric •  Cloud formation, weather patterns, and major chemical species

concentrations are still outstanding science questions

•  In situ observations must rapidly identify chemical species, particulates, and environmental conditions

•  Highly resilient, long-lived, mobile platforms are required in order to observe dynamic behavior of different atmospheric layers and provide accurate tracking of wind currents

•  New instruments may provide significant science return for much lower mass/energy cost (i.e. new generation of mass spec., Raman, GRS)

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Surface •  Long-lived surface operations are required in order to make significant

science advances over previous generation of landers –  Composition, weather, geophysics

•  Recent technology developments enable better efficiency –  Stand-off LIBS, Raman, UV/Vis/NIR –  High temperature electronics

•  Some techniques still require protected environment, long operation time, and high power demand –  XRD –  Sample retrieval, delivery, and analysis requires additional development of

high temp mechanics/robotics

•  Power demand/generation is still a concern 11  

Highlights •  Several high priority science objectives can be addressed with common

technologies –  i.e. Raman and miniaturized mass spectrometers are highly beneficial to

atmosphere and surface operations

•  Some science questions can be addressed (to different extents )from all three environments –  i.e. seismicity, composition

•  Previous missions (including VEX) underscore the need for observations of dynamic changes and mobile in situ platforms

•  Laboratory investigations provide necessary calibration for existing and future data, and Earth-based observations should be leveraged to provide new data while awaiting future missions.

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Access to Draft Report

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Preliminary draft report available to VEXAG community at:

http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/venustech2015/

(Final report to be released at LPSC 2015.)

Feedback and comments: Jeff Balcerski, NASA Glenn

(jeffrey.balcerski@nasa.gov)

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•  Example  of  Approach  

•  3.6  Atmospheric  circula5on  and  weather  pa[erns    Wind  velocity  observa5ons  by  Pioneer  Venus  and  Venera  probes,  as  well  as  cloud  tracking  by  Venus  Express,  revealed  that  the  atmospheric  circula5on  has  a  zonal  structure  and  is  in  a  state  of  superrota5on  for  all  but  the  lowest  al5tudes.  Moreover,  Venus  Express  revealed  that  the  velocity  of  the  cloud  tops  increased  globally  during  the  dura5on  of  the  orbital  mission.  In  order  to  develop  a  comprehensive  model  of  Venus’  atmospheric  circula5on,  long-­‐term  in  situ  observa5ons  need  to  be  collected  from  mobile  plajorms.  The  precise  loca5on  and  tracking  of  these  plajorms,  in  concert  with  weather  instrument  payloads,  could  allow  for  significantly  increased  understanding  of  the  whole-­‐planet  circula5on  state  and  the  mechanisms  that  drive  the  observed  changes.    

Status:  Glider  and  blimp-­‐type  plajorms  are  currently  being  designed,  and  a  prototype  volume-­‐controlled  balloon  with  programmable  buoyancy  has  been  constructed.  No  long-­‐lived,  mobile  atmospheric  plajorm  has  yet  been  deployed  in  a  planetary  mission.    

Needs:  All  atmospheric  plajorms,  with  the  excep5on  of  descender-­‐type  craY,  require  further  matura5on  and  durability  tes5ng  for  the  Venus  environment.  It  is  not  known  if  environmental  hardening  of  these  plajorms,  as  would  be  required  for  func5oning  in  the  middle  and  lower  atmosphere,  would  significantly  delay  development.