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DAVINCI

The Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging (DAVINCI) is a NASA planetary science mission designed to explore Venus's atmosphere and surface in unprecedented detail, utilizing a flyby spacecraft and an instrumented descent probe to analyze its composition, evolution, and potential past habitability.^[1] Selected on June 2, 2021, as part of NASA's Discovery program, DAVINCI represents the agency's first dedicated Venus mission since the Magellan orbiter in the 1990s and will be conducted alongside the complementary VERITAS mission to map the planet's surface.^[2] The mission's primary objectives include measuring the abundance of noble gases and trace species in Venus's thick carbon dioxide atmosphere to understand its formation and history, determining whether the planet once harbored liquid water oceans, and investigating geological processes like volcanism and tectonics through high-resolution imaging during atmospheric descent.^[3] DAVINCI's architecture features a Carrier-Relay-Imaging Spacecraft (CRIS) that will perform multiple flybys of Venus for remote sensing and serve as a telecommunications relay for the probe, which will descend through the atmosphere from cloud tops to the surface using parachutes and aerodynamic design to survive extreme conditions of 460°C (860°F) temperatures and 92 times Earth's atmospheric pressure.^[4] The descent probe carries five main instruments: the Venus Descent Imager (VenDI) for color video and near-infrared spectroscopy of the surface; the Venus Mass Spectrometer (VMS) to quantify isotopic ratios of noble gases; the Venus Atmospheric Structure Investigation (VASI) to measure temperature, pressure, and wind; the Venus Tunable Laser Spectrometer (VTLS) for detecting hydrogen and oxygen isotopes indicative of past water; and supporting thermophysics instrumentation for environmental monitoring.^[3] These tools will enable the first direct sampling of Venus's lower atmosphere since the Soviet Vega missions in 1985, providing data on cloud chemistry, acid cycles, and surface mineralogy that could reveal why Venus transitioned from a potentially temperate world to its current infernal state.^[5] Originally proposed in NASA's 2015 Discovery program solicitation and refined through a 2020 concept study led by Goddard Space Flight Center, DAVINCI was one of two Venus missions chosen from four finalists for its innovative approach combining orbital flybys with in-situ measurements, budgeted at approximately $500 million.^[6]^[7] As of November 2025, the mission remains in development, having completed its System Requirements Review and targeting Preliminary Design Review later in the year, with a launch targeted for 2029 aboard a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, followed by arrival at Venus in 2031 for initial flybys and probe deployment.^[1]^[8] This endeavor not only advances understanding of Venus as a counterpoint to Earth's climate evolution but also informs exoplanet studies by elucidating runaway greenhouse effects in similar worlds.^[9]

Mission overview

Concept and components

The DAVINCI mission, selected as the 13th in NASA's Discovery Program, features a dual-spacecraft architecture designed to investigate Venus's atmosphere and surface through complementary remote and in-situ observations.^[2] The primary components include a flyby spacecraft equipped for remote sensing and a descent probe for direct atmospheric sampling, enabling a comprehensive analysis of the planet's composition, dynamics, and geological history.^[1] The descent probe, named Zephyr, is a spheroid-shaped entry vehicle approximately 1 meter in diameter, constructed primarily from titanium to endure the extreme conditions of Venus's atmosphere.^[10] It incorporates a robust heat shield to protect against entry heating exceeding 12,000°C, followed by parachute deployment for controlled descent through the dense lower atmosphere.^[2] The probe is engineered to potentially operate for up to 18 minutes after surface impact, allowing brief post-landing measurements if it survives the roughly 19 m/s touchdown velocity, though survival is not a mission requirement.^[11] The flyby spacecraft serves as a telecommunications relay for the probe's data during descent and conducts multiple Venus flybys to perform global-scale remote sensing, including high-resolution imaging and spectroscopic mapping of the planet's surface and atmosphere.^[1] This configuration supports integrated operations where the probe's approximately 60-minute descent from entry interface at about 120 km altitude through the atmosphere to the surface enables sampling of noble gases, trace elements, and other constituents at multiple altitudes, with profiling starting near 60 km, while the flyby spacecraft provides contextual overhead imaging synchronized with the probe's trajectory over the Alpha Regio tesserae.^[12]^[2] As of November 2025, DAVINCI remains in the development phase, with delays to the launch timeline due to fiscal year 2025 budget constraints, but on track for execution within NASA's Discovery Program. As the first NASA-led Venus atmospheric probe since the Pioneer Venus Multiprobe mission in 1978, DAVINCI revives U.S. in-situ exploration of the planet's hellish environment.^[2] Additionally, its descent imaging capabilities represent the first potential close-up views of the Venusian surface since the Soviet Venera 14 lander in 1982.^[13]

Timeline and trajectory

The DAVINCI mission is scheduled for launch no earlier than 2030 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station aboard an Atlas V rocket, with a provisional launch window in the early 2030s.^[1] Following launch, the spacecraft will undergo a cruise phase of about 1–2 years to Venus.^[11] Upon arrival around 2031–2032, the spacecraft will perform initial flybys, followed by probe deployment for atmospheric entry and descent targeting the tesserae terrain of Alpha Regio for in-situ measurements during its plunge through the atmosphere. The carrier spacecraft will continue flybys to support relay communications and extended remote observations.^[14] The probe's entry interface occurs at an approximate speed of 11.7 km/s, with parachute deployment at around 47 km altitude to decelerate the vehicle; this results in a terminal velocity of about 12 m/s (25 mph) at surface impact after parachute release.^[15] Probe operations are expected to encompass roughly 60 minutes of descent profiling plus up to 18 minutes of surface activities before loss of communications due to the harsh environment, while the flyby spacecraft supports a nominal 4-year primary mission with potential extensions for additional science data collection.^[4] At mission end, the spacecraft will execute a controlled deorbit maneuver into Venus' atmosphere to ensure complete disposal and mitigate risks of long-term orbital debris.^[1]

Development history

Initial proposals

The DAVINCI mission concept originated with a proposal submitted in 2015 for NASA's Discovery Program mission #13, emphasizing in situ measurements of Venus' atmospheric composition during a descent probe mission. Led by Principal Investigator Lori Glaze at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the initial DAVINCI design targeted noble gases and key chemical species to probe the planet's atmospheric structure and dynamics over a 63-minute free-fall descent through the atmosphere. This proposal was one of five concepts selected in September 2015 for preliminary design studies, each receiving approximately $3 million in funding to refine their approaches.^[6] In January 2017, DAVINCI advanced to finalist status among five competing proposals for the Discovery Program but was not selected for full development, with NASA instead choosing the Lucy and Psyche missions focused on asteroid exploration. The non-selection prompted a reevaluation of the concept, leading to its resubmission in 2019 under the revised name DAVINCI+ for the subsequent Discovery solicitation. This iteration enhanced the descent probe by incorporating dedicated surface imaging capabilities, including a camera to capture high-resolution views of Venusian terrain during the final stages of descent, thereby expanding the mission's scope to include geological context alongside atmospheric sampling.^[16]^[17] On February 13, 2020, DAVINCI+ was announced as one of four finalists selected for Phase A concept studies in the Discovery Program, receiving funding to develop a detailed Concept Study Report over the following nine months. The effort was led by Principal Investigator James B. Garvin, NASA's Goddard chief scientist with extensive experience in planetary geomorphology, who guided refinements to the mission architecture for a potential 2026 launch at that stage. The mission's nomenclature evolved accordingly: designated DAVINCI from 2015 to 2019, updated to DAVINCI+ to reflect the imaging additions during the 2019–2021 proposal phase, and reverted to DAVINCI following its selection for implementation in June 2021.^[17]^[7] Throughout these iterative proposals, a core motivation was to fill critical knowledge gaps in Venus' atmospheric evolution, unaddressed since the Pioneer Venus orbiter and multiprobe mission in 1978, by prioritizing measurements of noble gas isotopes to elucidate the planet's origins, volatile delivery, and potential early habitability. These elements underscored the need for direct sampling to resolve long-standing questions about Venus' divergence from Earth-like conditions.^[7]^[11]

Selection and funding

On June 2, 2021, NASA announced the selection of the DAVINCI mission as one of two winners in the Discovery Program's 13th announcement of opportunity, alongside the VERITAS mission, to investigate Venus' atmosphere and surface evolution.^[2] The mission operates under a cost cap of approximately US$500 million for development and operations, excluding launch vehicle costs, with overall management led by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.^[18]^[2] James B. Garvin from Goddard serves as the principal investigator, supported by deputy principal investigators Stephanie A. Getty and Giada Arney, also from Goddard; the project manager is Ken Schwer from Goddard.^[12] Key partners include Lockheed Martin, which is responsible for designing, building, and operating the spacecraft, along with contributions from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and potential international technical support from organizations like the European Space Agency.^[19]^[20] NASA's fiscal year 2025 budget request allocates funding to sustain DAVINCI's development within the Discovery Program cap, supporting ongoing progress toward mission implementation.^[21] As of early 2024 status assessments, the mission remains on track for a 2030 launch without significant delays, with continued confirmation in subsequent updates. As of 2025, the mission continues development, with a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) targeted for late 2025.^[8]^[1]

Scientific objectives

Atmospheric analysis goals

The primary goal of the DAVINCI mission's atmospheric analysis is to determine the bulk composition of Venus's lower atmosphere through in-situ measurements of noble gases such as helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), and xenon (Xe), along with their isotopes and key trace species.^[4] These measurements aim to trace the origins of the atmosphere, including constraints on planetary formation, outgassing processes, and potential delivery of volatiles from external sources during the solar system's early history.^[4] By achieving unprecedented precision in noble gas abundances—such as the first-ever xenon isotope measurements below the homopause—the mission will address longstanding uncertainties in Venus's atmospheric inventory compared to prior remote observations.^[22]^[4] A key objective is to investigate Venus's water history by measuring the deuterium-to-hydrogen (D/H) ratio and sulfur isotope compositions with high accuracy.^[1] The D/H ratio, targeted at precisions of 1% in 10 ppmv water vapor and 0.2% in 100 ppmv, will reveal the extent of past water loss and whether Venus once possessed oceans, potentially indicating an Earth-like habitable phase before desiccation.^[4] Sulfur isotopes, including ratios like ^{32}S/^{34}S, will help assess volcanic outgassing and atmospheric escape mechanisms that contributed to water depletion over billions of years.^[4] These data will quantify the planet's hydrological evolution and inform models of water retention versus loss in terrestrial planet atmospheres.^[2] The mission will analyze chemical processes in Venus's cloud layers and lower atmosphere, focusing on reactions within sulfuric acid cycles and the dynamics driving the runaway greenhouse effect.^[4] In-situ sampling of trace gases such as H₂O, SO₂, OCS, CO, and H₂S will elucidate photochemical and thermochemical reactions, including the role of oxygen fugacity (fO₂) in surface-atmosphere interactions.^[4] These investigations target the lower atmosphere's redox state and circulation patterns that sustain the extreme greenhouse conditions, providing insights into why Venus transitioned to its current uninhabitable state.^[2]^[4] In an evolutionary context, DAVINCI's atmospheric goals emphasize comparisons between Venus, Earth, and Mars to understand divergent planetary habitability pathways.^[1] Noble gas and isotopic data will highlight differences in atmospheric retention and loss, explaining Venus's loss of habitability despite similar formation conditions to its neighbors.^[4] By integrating these measurements, the mission will test hypotheses on why Venus became a runaway hothouse while Earth maintained liquid water, contributing to broader knowledge of terrestrial planet atmospheres.^[2]^[22] Altitude-specific sampling during the probe's descent from approximately 120 km to the surface will enable layered analysis, with a primary focus on the lower atmosphere above 48 km where critical chemistry occurs.^[4] The one-hour descent profile includes at least one sample above the clouds and five below 50 km (with one below 15 km), allowing vertical profiling of composition, temperature, pressure, and winds to capture transitions in atmospheric layers.^[4] This targeted approach will provide the first comprehensive in-situ dataset from the lower atmosphere since the 1980s, resolving ambiguities in prior missions.^[22]^[4]

Surface imaging and geology

The DAVINCI mission's descent probe is designed to capture the first high-resolution optical and near-infrared images of Venus's surface in over four decades, focusing on the tesserae terrain in Alpha Regio during its controlled descent.^[14] These images, obtained via the Venus Descent Imager (VenDI) camera, will resolve surface features at sub-meter scales, achieving resolutions better than 50 cm per pixel near the surface, enabling detailed mapping of topography and composition from altitudes as low as 1.5 km.^[4] This imaging capability will produce digital elevation models using structure-from-motion techniques, providing unprecedented views of rugged highland features akin to airplane perspectives.^[8] Alpha Regio was selected as the primary target due to its status as an elevated, tectonically complex highland region, spanning approximately twice the area of Texas and representing one of Venus's oldest crustal terrains, with estimated ages around 1 billion years based on crater counts.^[14] The tesserae here, characterized by intensely deformed, ribbon-like structures with up to 3 km of relief, are thought to preserve primordial continental crust remnants that predate the planet's widespread volcanic resurfacing.^[4] By imaging these features at high resolution, DAVINCI aims to elucidate crustal formation processes, including potential evidence of early tectonic regimes with higher strain rates and thermal gradients compared to modern Venus.^[23] Geological investigations will prioritize distinguishing between mafic (basaltic) volcanic rocks and more felsic (silicic) compositions through near-infrared band-ratio analysis, potentially revealing signatures of past water-rock interactions or hydrated minerals in the ancient highlands.^[8] The mission will assess Venus's volcanic and tectonic history by correlating surface morphology—such as fault patterns and ridge orientations—with descent measurements of noble gas isotopes like 40Ar, which trace mantle outgassing and resurfacing events.^[4] These efforts will clarify how Venus diverged from Earth's geodynamic evolution, focusing on pre-resurfacing epochs when diverse crustal types may have existed.^[14] To explore surface-atmosphere interactions, VenDI imaging will seek evidence of wind-driven erosion, aeolian features, or chemical weathering in the tesserae, complemented by in-situ measurements of atmospheric gases like SO2 and CO that influence surface oxidation states.^[4] Oxygen fugacity estimates from the surface will help quantify exchange processes between the crust and lower atmosphere, such as potential sulfur cycling or volatile release.^[8] Overall, these descent data will provide ground-truth context for orbiter-based global maps, allowing correlations between local surface compositions in Alpha Regio and broader atmospheric inputs, thus enhancing understanding of Venus's integrated geological and climatic history.^[23]

Spacecraft design

Descent probe

The descent probe of the DAVINCI mission is engineered as a robust atmospheric entry vehicle capable of withstanding Venus's extreme conditions during hypersonic entry and a prolonged descent through the dense atmosphere. The probe features a structure with an approximate mass of 450 kg and a 2.24-meter diameter aeroshell equipped with a carbon-phenolic heat shield designed to endure peak temperatures exceeding 10,000°C. This aeroshell encases the descent sphere, a pressure vessel constructed from high-strength titanium approximately 1 meter in diameter to resist the crushing pressures up to 90 atmospheres and corrosive sulfuric acid clouds encountered below 50 km altitude. The design draws heritage from the Pioneer Venus Large Probe while incorporating modern materials for enhanced durability and instrument protection. As of November 2025, these specifications remain consistent with ongoing development.^[4]^[15]^[24] The entry sequence commences with hypersonic atmospheric interface at 11.7 km/s relative velocity, initiating deceleration primarily through aerobraking as the dense CO₂ atmosphere compresses and heats the heat shield. Peak deceleration forces reach several hundred g's during this phase, rapidly slowing the probe to subsonic speeds. A small drogue parachute deploys at approximately 60 km altitude to stabilize orientation, followed by the main parachute deployment at about 47 km, enabling a controlled descent over roughly 25 km. The parachutes are jettisoned thereafter, transitioning to free fall for the final segment to the surface, with the total descent lasting around 63 minutes from entry interface to touchdown. This sequence ensures optimal exposure for in-situ measurements while minimizing structural stress.^[4]^[15]^[25] Power for the probe's subsystems and instruments is supplied by non-rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, providing reliable operation for over 60 minutes to cover the full descent and potential brief surface phase. Communications rely on an S-band transmitter integrated into the descent sphere, relaying telemetry and science data to the accompanying carrier spacecraft at variable rates of 8–32 kbps for subsequent forwarding to Earth. This setup allows for real-time monitoring and the transmission of several gigabytes of compressed data, prioritizing high-fidelity atmospheric profiles and imagery.^[4]^[26] The survival design emphasizes impact tolerance rather than long-term surface functionality, featuring a crushable outer structure to dissipate kinetic energy upon landing. If the terminal impact velocity remains below 12 m/s—achievable under nominal conditions—the probe could support up to 18 minutes of additional post-touchdown operations, though no mobility mechanisms are included. This capability provides a potential bonus for surface proximity science, such as localized temperature and pressure readings, before battery depletion or structural failure.^[27]^[4] Thermal management during the 63-minute descent incorporates multi-layer insulation (MLI) enveloping the descent sphere to minimize radiative heat exchange, complemented by active cooling systems for sensitive instruments. These features maintain internal temperatures within operational limits amid external conditions escalating to 460°C and 92 atmospheres at the surface, ensuring data integrity from cloud tops to touchdown. The entry heat shield's ablation provides initial protection, transitioning to passive and active controls post-jettison.^[4]^[26]

Orbiter configuration

The DAVINCI mission's carrier-relay-imaging spacecraft (CRIS), also referred to as the carrier spacecraft, is built on a Lockheed Martin platform with a dry mass of approximately 500 kg. It utilizes chemical propulsion for trajectory corrections during cruise and flyby maneuvers, enabling multiple close approaches to Venus for remote sensing and data relay. As of November 2025, the spacecraft design supports the mission's flyby architecture without orbital insertion.^[28]^[19] The spacecraft performs two targeted flybys of Venus prior to probe deployment, with subsequent flybys for additional observations. The primary mission is planned for approximately 2 years from launch, supporting remote sensing and data relay operations.^[1]^[3]^[29] Avionics systems include star trackers for precise attitude control and navigation, while power is supplied by solar arrays generating 5–7 kW to support all subsystems in Venus' proximity to the Sun. A high-gain antenna enables communication with Earth and the descent probe, facilitating real-time relay of atmospheric data. In its relay role, the carrier spacecraft receives probe transmissions during the descent phase and stores them for forwarding to Earth at X-band data rates ranging from 4 to 16 kbps.^[25]^[14]

Scientific instruments

Probe instruments

The descent probe of the DAVINCI mission carries a suite of four primary instruments designed for in-situ measurements during its plunge through Venus's atmosphere, enabling direct sampling of composition, structure, and surface features from approximately 70 km altitude down to the surface. These instruments—Venus Mass Spectrometer (VMS), Venus Tunable Laser Spectrometer (VTLS), Venus Atmospheric Structure Investigation (VASI), and Venus Descent Imager (VenDI)—operate continuously during descent to provide complementary data on atmospheric chemistry, dynamics, and geology.^[11] The Venus Mass Spectrometer (VMS) is a quadrupole mass spectrometer that analyzes the chemical composition of Venus's atmosphere by measuring noble gases such as helium through xenon, trace gases, and their isotopes across a mass range of 2–550 Da. It achieves high sensitivity with uncertainties below 4% for helium and under 5% for neon, krypton, and xenon, capable of detecting species at parts-per-billion levels, and provides composition data at cadences as fine as 200 m altitude below 61 km, with enhanced resolution in the lowest 16 km. VMS samples gas through heated inlet ports equipped with filters to prevent clogging from sulfuric acid aerosols, supporting investigations into atmospheric evolution and trace element abundances.^[11] The Venus Tunable Laser Spectrometer (VTLS) employs diode laser absorption spectroscopy in a multi-pass Herriott cell across three wavelength channels (2.64 μm, 4.8 μm, and 7.4 μm) to measure isotopic ratios and trace gas concentrations, including deuterium-to-hydrogen (D/H), carbon-13 to carbon-12 (¹³C/¹²C), and species like HCl, HF, CO, OCS, and SO₂ in the cloud layers. It offers precision of 1% for 10 ppmv levels and 0.2% for D/H at 100 ppmv, with sampling including at least one measurement above the clouds and five below, particularly targeting the lower atmosphere under 15 km. VTLS ingests samples via dedicated inlet ports, providing orthogonal data to VMS for validating volatile inventories and water loss history.^[11] The Venus Atmospheric Structure Investigation (VASI) comprises a package of sensors, including accelerometers, inertial measurement units (IMUs), pressure transducers, and temperature probes, to profile atmospheric density, winds, and thermodynamic structure with vertical resolution better than 50 m from about 70 km to the surface. It measures temperature to within 1 K, pressure variations, and accelerations to derive wind speeds and descent dynamics, augmented by Doppler tracking from the orbiter. VASI sensors are distributed across external booms and internal mounts, enabling real-time mapping of atmospheric layers and entry conditions.^[11] The Venus Descent Imager (VenDI) is a near-infrared (NIR) camera system with a 1024 × 1024 pixel CCD detector, capturing wide-angle, 360° color images through a nadir-oriented sapphire window to document surface geology and cloud features during the final descent phase from 38 km altitude. Operating in broadband (740–1040 nm) and narrowband (980–1030 nm) modes, it achieves resolutions from 1–200 m per pixel at higher altitudes, improving to under 50 cm per pixel near touchdown and potentially 10 cm per pixel in the last kilometers, with a signal-to-noise ratio exceeding 70:1. VenDI provides the first close-range views of Venus's tesserae terrain in Alpha Regio, revealing morphology and mineralogy indicators.^[11] Additionally, the probe carries VfOx, a compact student-built oxygen sensor to measure molecular oxygen partial pressure levels near the surface.^[30] These instruments are integrated into the probe's compact structure for synergistic operation, with VMS and VTLS drawing atmospheric samples through shared inlet ports, VenDI viewing via its protective window, and VASI sensors embedded throughout; the suite consumes less than 100 W total power while sampling continuously to maximize data return during the ~1-hour descent.^[11]

Orbiter instruments

The DAVINCI mission's orbiter, known as the Carrier-Relay-Imaging Spacecraft (CRIS), carries two primary remote sensing instruments: the Venus Imaging System for Observational Reconnaissance (VISOR) and the Compact Ultraviolet to Visible Imaging Spectrometer (CUVIS). These instruments enable global mapping of Venus' atmosphere and surface during flybys, providing contextual data to support the descent probe's in-situ observations of the deep atmosphere and Alpha Regio tesserae. VISOR functions as a multispectral imager, capturing images across ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared wavelengths to track cloud dynamics, map surface emissivity, and detect sulfur dioxide (SO₂) plumes via UV absorption features. CUVIS complements this with hyperspectral capabilities focused on upper atmospheric composition and thermal structure.^[11] VISOR consists of a suite of four cameras, incorporating flight-proven components from the OSIRIS-REx TAGCAMS navigation system for reliability in the Venus environment. It operates in the ultraviolet (355–375 nm) for dayside cloud tracking and motion analysis, achieving resolutions of 10–20 km/pixel at flyby altitudes of 80,000–200,000 km; this supports derivation of wind patterns in the upper atmosphere. On the nightside, near-infrared channels (930–938 nm, 947–964 nm, and 990–1030 nm) map thermal emissions from the surface at ~100 km resolution, enabling targeted imaging of Alpha Regio to complement the probe's local views pre- and post-descent. The system also facilitates SO₂ plume detection through contrasts in UV albedo, informing volcanic activity and atmospheric chemistry.^[11]^[4] CUVIS is an innovative, compact hyperspectral imager using freeform optics and AI/ML processing for dual-band dispersion, covering ultraviolet to visible wavelengths (200–570 nm) with a spectral resolution of 0.20 nm. Designed as a technology demonstration, it images Venus in full sunlight to diagnose upper cloud composition, identify unknown UV absorbers, and probe thermal structure variations. If configured as the Venus Atmospheric Remote Sensor (VARS) in the final payload, it would enhance remote sensing of trace gases and dynamics in the mesosphere, bridging orbital-scale observations with probe data.^[11]^[31] The instruments acquire data across the mission's two planned flybys prior to probe release, expected in the mid-2030s following a launch no earlier than 2031, yielding approximately 200 Gbits of remote sensing volume as part of the total mission output. This includes global mosaics and time-series for atmospheric circulation models, with VISOR providing broadband context and CUVIS adding spectroscopic detail. In-flight calibration occurs via Earth and Moon observations to verify radiometric accuracy and correct for any degradation. Both systems incorporate radiation hardening to endure solar proximity and Venus' harsh radiative environment, ensuring operational integrity throughout the flybys.^[11]^[32]

Mission operations

Launch and cruise phase

The DAVINCI mission is tentatively planned for launch in 2030 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking NASA's return to Venus exploration with a carrier spacecraft and descent probe configuration.^[1] The spacecraft assembly, including integration of the probe to the carrier (also referred to as the orbiter or relay spacecraft), will occur during ground processing at the Kennedy Space Center, following standard NASA protocols for planetary missions to ensure compatibility with the launch environment.^[20] This phase includes rigorous vibration, thermal vacuum, and electromagnetic compatibility testing to simulate the harsh conditions of launch and the Venusian environment, with the probe remaining attached to the carrier until release near the planet.^[33] Following launch, the spacecraft will deploy its solar arrays shortly after separation from the launch vehicle to provide power for the interplanetary journey, a standard procedure for solar-powered deep space missions led by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.^[1] The initial cruise phase is designed as a direct transfer trajectory lasting approximately six months to the first Venus flyby.^[4] During this period, the spacecraft will perform up to three mid-course correction maneuvers using its onboard thrusters to refine the trajectory and ensure precise arrival timing for the subsequent flybys and probe descent.^[15] Mission operations during cruise emphasize reliability and autonomy, with the spacecraft equipped for fault protection systems that detect and respond to anomalies independently to safeguard critical systems over the transit.^[33] Daily tracking and telemetry are provided by NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN), which supports communication from ground stations in California, Spain, and Australia, while the science and engineering teams at Goddard Space Flight Center monitor health and performance in real-time.^[1] Instrument activation and calibration occur progressively during cruise to verify functionality, including checkout of the probe's atmospheric sensors and the carrier's remote sensing payloads, ensuring readiness for Venus operations.^[4] This preparation phase allows for any necessary adjustments prior to the first Venus flyby approximately six months after launch.^[11]

Arrival, descent, and data collection

The DAVINCI spacecraft arrives at Venus after the initial six-month cruise for the first flyby, with the Carrier-Relay-Imaging Spacecraft (CRIS) releasing the descent probe approximately two days prior to atmospheric entry about two years after launch. The probe targets a scientifically rich entry corridor spanning approximately 310 km in its long axis over the tessera terrain of Alpha Regio, enabling detailed sampling of ancient continental crust.^[11] Descent operations commence with entry at about 145 km altitude, followed by parachute deployment at roughly 70 km to expose the instruments and initiate a 59-minute transect to the surface. The Venus Atmospheric Structure Investigation (VASI) continuously measures atmospheric temperature, pressure, and wind speeds with vertical resolutions better than 50 m, profiling the deep atmosphere's dynamics. The Venus Mass Spectrometer (VMS) and Venus Tunable Laser Spectrometer (VTLS) acquire in situ samples of noble gases, trace species like SO₂ and H₂O, and key isotope ratios (e.g., D/H to 1% precision at 10 ppmv levels) at more than 10 altitudes, with VMS sampling every ~200 m below 61 km. The Venus Descent Imager (VenDI) captures near-infrared images of the Alpha Regio surface during the final kilometers, resolving features down to <50 cm/pixel and providing context for mineralogy and topography. All data—contributing to the probe's in situ yield of at least 5 Gbits—is relayed in near-real-time to the CRIS for forwarding to Earth, with the descent sphere designed to sustain operations for an additional ~18 minutes post-touchdown at 18.7 m/s.^[11]^[32] Preceding probe release, the CRIS performs targeted flyby imaging in ultraviolet and near-infrared wavelengths during its previous encounters, mapping cloud layers and surface emissivity for descent site context. Post-descent, the spacecraft executes follow-on flybys, enabling correlation of probe measurements with global-scale remote sensing data to interpret atmospheric circulation and surface-atmosphere interactions.^[11] The full mission dataset, exceeding 60 Gbits compressed including ~200 Gbits from remote observations, is transmitted to Earth via NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) antennas. Initial processing occurs at the Goddard Space Flight Center, where teams derive quantitative isotope abundances, noble gas enrichments, and vertical wind profiles to assess Venus's evolutionary history.^[11]^[32] Mission contingencies prioritize robust relay via CRIS, with the descent sphere's post-landing endurance serving as a buffer for data acquisition; success requires fulfillment of core objectives, including high-fidelity returns from all five probe instruments to enable definitive atmospheric and surface analyses.^[11]

References

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[21]
[PDF] DAVINCI MISSION TO VENUS' ATMOSPHERE AND SURFACE
DAVINCI is a mission to Venus' atmosphere and surface, planned for a 2029 launch, with an in-situ campaign in late June 2031.
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[PDF] DAVINCI: Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases ...
Launching in November 2021 and arriving at Venus in June of 2023, DAVINCI would be the first U.S. entry probe to target Venus' atmosphere in 45 years.
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SEEING VENUS TESSERA TERRAIN WITH THE VENDI CAMERA ...
DAVINCI will deliver VenDI below the clouds that obscure the surface from orbit and will collect images at VNIR wavelengths and at much higher resolution than ...
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[PDF] Entry, Descent, and Landing Simulation for DAVINCI
the DAVINCI deep atmosphere descent probe, named Zephyr, together with a carrier relay imaging spacecraft [2] with objectives that include quantifying the ...
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[PDF] Venus Probe Architecture
The DAVINCI Descent Sphere (DS) is an evacuated spherical probe designed to enter the Venusian atmosphere and collect scientific data during an ~1 hour descent.Missing: details | Show results with:details
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[PDF] DAVINCI - NASA Science
Carrying an atmospheric descent probe, the DAVINCI spacecraft will serve as a telecommunications hub by relaying information from the probe to Earth. It'll ...
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EPISODE 76: DAVINCI | APPEL Knowledge Services
DAVINCI mission is one of two new NASA missions to Venus aimed at understanding how Earth's sister planet became an inferno-like world.Missing: concept | Show results with:concept
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Compact Ultraviolet to Visible Imaging Spectrometer (CUVIS) a ...
Dec 16, 2022 · CUVIS is an innovative small footprint UV to visible, with spectral range 200–570 nm, dual-band dispersion and imaging spectrometer.
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[PDF] Mission Status Update
Nov 18, 2024 · DAVINCI will return at least 5 Gb of in situ data and 200 Gb of remote sensing data! 17 L-1's (PLRA Doc). Higher Order Data Products. Noble gas ...
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The DAVINCI Mission
a sweltering world wrapped in an atmosphere of noxious gases — once had oceans and ...