VERITAS

VERITAS. The Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy mission is a selected NASA Discovery Program spacecraft designed to perform a comprehensive orbital survey of Earth's sister planet. Led by the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, its primary goal is to understand why Venus, a world of similar size and composition, evolved so differently, transforming into an inferno with a surface hot enough to melt lead. By mapping the planet's surface and interior in unprecedented detail, VERITAS aims to unravel the geologic history and potential for past habitability of this enigmatic world, providing critical data to compare with the evolutionary paths of other rocky planets in the Solar System.

Overview

Proposed by a team of scientists from institutions like the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and University of Alaska Fairbanks, VERITAS was selected in 2021 as part of NASA's competitive Discovery Program. The mission concept builds upon the legacy of prior Magellan radar mapping but with vastly improved technology to answer fundamental questions in planetary science. Its development follows other recent Venus missions, including ESA's Venus Express and JAXA's Akatsuki, but focuses specifically on high-resolution surface and interior studies. The mission represents a major step in revitalizing the exploration of Venus after a significant gap in dedicated NASA orbital missions.

Scientific objectives and design

The core scientific objectives of the mission are to determine the geologic evolution of Venus and understand why it diverged from Earth. This will be achieved by creating global, high-resolution topographic maps using a synthetic aperture radar system, far surpassing the data from the Magellan mission. A key instrument, a deep-space interferometric synthetic-aperture radar, will measure minute changes in the planet's surface elevation, searching for evidence of current tectonics and volcanism. Furthermore, a near-infrared spectrometer will peer through the thick carbon dioxide atmosphere to map surface rock composition, identifying signatures of recent volcanic activity and the presence of specific minerals like feldspar.

Discoveries and key results

While the spacecraft has not yet launched, its anticipated discoveries are poised to revolutionize our understanding of Venus. Scientists expect to confirm whether the planet remains geologically active today by detecting fresh lava flows or active volcanoes, such as those suggested by data from the Venus Express mission. The mission will rigorously test models of planetary evolution and the potential for a past habitable climate with liquid water oceans. By providing a detailed geologic record, VERITAS data will also offer crucial context for understanding exoplanets with similar sizes and masses discovered by missions like the Kepler space telescope.

Technical specifications and location

The VERITAS spacecraft will carry a sophisticated payload built around two primary instruments. The Venus Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar will generate topographic maps with a spatial resolution of 250 meters and vertical precision of about 5 meters. The Venus Emissivity Mapper is a near-infrared spectrometer designed to measure surface heat emission and mineralogy. The orbiter will operate from a near-polar, circular orbit around Venus, optimized for global coverage. Key technology development for the mission is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, with significant contributions from the German Aerospace Center and the Italian Space Agency.

Collaboration and operations

VERITAS is an international collaboration led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with the principal investigator based at that facility. Major contributions come from the German Aerospace Center, providing the infrared spectrometer, and the Italian Space Agency, contributing to the radar system. The mission will be operated from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's mission control center, with science data processed and archived at the NASA Planetary Data System. Science analysis will involve a broad team of researchers from institutions across the United States, Europe, and Japan, coordinating with other Venus missions like DAVINCI and EnVision to build a synergistic understanding of the planet.

Category:NASA space probes Category:Venus spacecraft Category:Discovery Program Category:Planned space probes