VERITAS (spacecraft)

VERITAS (spacecraft)
Name	VERITAS
Mission type	Planetary science
Operator	NASA
Mission duration	Primary: 3 years (planned)
Manufacturer	Lockheed Martin
Launch mass	~3,700 kg
Power	Solar arrays
Launch date	Planned 2028 (selected 2021)
Launch vehicle	Atlas V 541 (procured)
Launch site	Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Orbit	Planetary orbiter (Venus)

VERITAS (spacecraft) is a NASA planetary orbiter mission selected in 2021 to map the surface and study the geologic history of Venus using high-resolution radar imaging and spectroscopy. Developed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and built by Lockheed Martin, the mission aims to resolve long-standing questions about terrestrial planet evolution by linking surface geology with interior processes, atmospheric composition, and tectonic activity. The project involves partnerships with institutions such as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Carnegie Institution for Science, and international collaborators.

Mission overview

VERITAS was selected in NASA's Discovery Program to complement missions like DAVINCI+ and continue thematic studies begun by Magellan (spacecraft), Venus Express, and Akatsuki (spacecraft). The mission's prime goal is to produce global, high-resolution topography and radar image maps of Venus at spatial scales comparable to orbital remote sensing at Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Managed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, with instrument leads at institutions including Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Brown University, and the Smithsonian Institution, VERITAS integrates technologies developed for missions such as Cassini–Huygens, Mars Global Surveyor, and GRACE. The mission timeline ties into planetary science priorities articulated by the Planetary Science Decadal Survey.

Science objectives

VERITAS targets fundamental questions raised by comparative planetology and theories advanced by researchers at the California Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Arizona. Core objectives include: mapping global topography to determine crustal thickness and mantle dynamics in the vein of studies at Earth, assessing volcanic resurfacing episodes analogous to Iceland hotspot processes, and testing hypotheses about tectonic deformation connected to work at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The mission will search for recent volcanic activity, informed by results from Venus Express and studies published by teams at Brown University and Carnegie Institution for Science. Results will inform models developed at University of California, Berkeley and Imperial College London on planetary heat loss and atmospheric evolution influenced by past episodes studied by Paleoclimate research groups.

Spacecraft design and instruments

The VERITAS spacecraft bus, supplied by Lockheed Martin, leverages heritage from MAVEN (spacecraft), Psyche (spacecraft), and Earth-observing radar platforms. The primary instrument suite includes a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) developed by teams at Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory capable of producing meter-scale imaging analogous to instruments on Magellan (spacecraft) and RADAR missions. A complementary radar altimeter will provide stereo topography like methods used by Shuttle Radar Topography Mission and Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter. An infrared spectrometer led by scientists at Brown University and Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory will probe surface emissivity and composition in ways related to instruments on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Venus Express. Spacecraft systems for thermal control, avionics, and telecommunications draw on designs proven on Juno (spacecraft) and New Horizons.

Launch and trajectory

VERITAS is planned for launch on an Atlas V variant from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station during a Venus transfer window similar to timing used by Magellan (spacecraft) and Pioneer Venus. The trajectory uses a direct transfer or gravity-assist options studied by teams at Jet Propulsion Laboratory and mission design groups at NASA Ames Research Center; mission planners consider launch opportunities coordinated with other planetary missions and constraints from the Deep Space Network. Cruise phase operations will be informed by flight rules and procedures developed for Mars Science Laboratory and Galileo (spacecraft).

Operations and data processing

Mission operations will be conducted from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in coordination with instrument teams at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Brown University, and the US Geological Survey planetary mapping programs. Data processing will follow pipelines influenced by workflows from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, producing calibrated SAR imagery, global topographic grids, and compositional maps for archiving at the Planetary Data System. Science teams from institutions including Carnegie Institution for Science, Smithsonian Institution, University of Arizona, and international partners will perform analyses to cross-compare with datasets from Magellan (spacecraft), Venus Express, and terrestrial analog studies conducted at USGS research sites.

Results and discoveries

Expected outcomes include high-resolution maps that will enable reassessment of crustal recycling hypotheses originally debated in literature from Caltech and MIT, identification of volcanic centers comparable to features studied at Mount St. Helens and Haleakala, and detection of tectonic structures that inform models developed at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Imperial College London. By providing datasets analogous to those from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, VERITAS will allow planetary geologists from institutions like Brown University, Carnegie Institution for Science, and the Smithsonian Institution to refine timelines of resurfacing and link surface processes with atmospheric evolution themes investigated by Venus Express and modeling groups at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and JPL. Discoveries are expected to reshape understanding of terrestrial planet differentiation and habitability in the context of comparative studies with Earth, Mars, and the Moon.

Category:Venus exploration spacecraft Category:NASA space probes