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J. B. Garvin, Stephanie Getty, Giada Arney | The Planetary Science Journal | (2022)
Primary Link DOI Openalex Full text (OA)

Key Takeaways

Sample Definition And Size

The paper describes the DAVINCI mission, which is a NASA Discovery Program mission architecture rather than a study of human or biological subjects. It outlines mission design parameters (launch in summer/fall 2029, two flybys in 2030, descent-sphere atmospheric entry by end of 2031) and expected data return (~60 Gbits compressed) ([asu.elsevierpure.com](https://asu.elsevierpure.com/en/publications/revealing-the-mysteries-of-venus-the-davinci-mission?utm_source=openai)).

Study Type

This is a mission concept/design article describing the DAVINCI mission architecture and scientific objectives; it is not an empirical study but a mission proposal/description published in a peer-reviewed journal (Planetary Science Journal) ([asu.elsevierpure.com](https://asu.elsevierpure.com/en/publications/revealing-the-mysteries-of-venus-the-davinci-mission?utm_source=openai)).

Conflicts Of Interest

No conflicts of interest are declared in the available metadata or abstract. The sources do not mention any COI disclosures ([asu.elsevierpure.com](https://asu.elsevierpure.com/en/publications/revealing-the-mysteries-of-venus-the-davinci-mission?utm_source=openai)).

Results Summary

Key mission design and expected outcomes: preferred launch in summer/fall 2029; two flybys in 2030; descent-sphere atmospheric entry by end of 2031; in situ atmospheric descent delivering chemical and isotopic composition of Venus atmosphere above Alpha Regio; near-infrared descent imaging of surface; remote flyby observations of atmosphere, cloud deck, surface NIR emissivity; mission yield of at least 60 Gbits compressed data; first unique characterization of deep atmosphere environment and chemistry including trace gases, stable isotopes, oxygen fugacity, constraints on local rock compositions, and topography of a tessera ([asu.elsevierpure.com](https://asu.elsevierpure.com/en/publications/revealing-the-mysteries-of-venus-the-davinci-mission?utm_source=openai))

Abstract

Abstract The Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging (DAVINCI) mission described herein has been selected for flight to Venus as part of the NASA Discovery Program. DAVINCI will be the first mission to Venus to incorporate science-driven flybys and an instrumented descent sphere into a unified architecture. The anticipated scientific outcome will be a new understanding of the atmosphere, surface, and evolutionary path of Venus as a possibly once-habitable planet and analog to hot terrestrial exoplanets. The primary mission design for DAVINCI as selected features a preferred launch in summer/fall 2029, two flybys in 2030, and descent-sphere atmospheric entry by the end of 2031. The in situ atmospheric descent phase subsequently delivers definitive chemical and isotopic composition of the Venus atmosphere during an atmospheric transect above Alpha Regio. These in situ investigations of the atmosphere and near-infrared (NIR) descent imaging of the surface will complement remote flyby observations of the dynamic atmosphere, cloud deck, and surface NIR emissivity. The overall mission yield will be at least 60 Gbits (compressed) new data about the atmosphere and near surface, as well as the first unique characterization of the deep atmosphere environment and chemistry, including trace gases, key stable isotopes, oxygen fugacity, constraints on local rock compositions, and topography of a tessera.

Referenced In

Feb 18, 2026 2:41 AM

I like how the probe/mission plans to collect 60Gbits (7.5GBs?) of data. Which seems small, but I guess you can fit a lot of info into that! (If I'm understanding the paper correctly – Revealing the Mysteries of Venus: The DAVINCI Mission)

StarTalk

Season 17, Episode 7: DAVINCI and the Mysteries of Venus

Hey StarTalkians! In Season 17, Episode 7, Neil and Chuck sit down with planetary astrobiologist David Grinspoon to talk about the upcoming DAVINCI mission to Venus. As Grinspoon euphemistically explains, the mission aims to “reach” (i.e. “crash on”) the surface of the planet and resolve some key mysteries in the process.

Why We’re Going Back to Venus, with David Grinspoon

If you know anything about Venus, you’ll see the challenge here. The Venusian surface is much hotter than any other planet in the solar system – at 464 °C (867 °F), hot enough to melt lead (Solar System Temperatures - NASA Science). The atmosphere is also suffocated with clouds of sulphuric acid, but it may have been more Earth-like in the past.

So what will DAVINCI be looking for on this hellish planet?

The Mysteries of Venus: What DAVINCI Will Measure

There are three key questions the DAVINCI mission will investigate in 2031 (Revealing the Mysteries of Venus: The DAVINCI Mission):

  1. Atmospheric origin and Venusian water: Was Venus habitable in the past? Venus seems to have a much higher deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio than Earth. This could result from the splitting of water vapour, because hydrogen is lighter than deuterium, so more of it would be lost to space. A previous attempt to measure this ratio failed because the instrument got clogged with sulphuric acid. DAVINCI’s instrument will vaporize any such droplets, and the resulting measurement will allow scientists to test the history of water on the planet.

  2. Atmospheric composition, impacts and volcanic history: Noble gases, especially argon-40, helium-4, xenon-129 and xenon-136 will help the team pin down the history of volcanic activity and impact events on Venus. For example, high xenon-129 would suggest Venus didn’t have a giant impact like the one on Earth which formed the moon. The gases within 20 km of the surface are relatively unknown, so DAVINCI will investigate this, along with carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur and phosphorus-containing compounds, elements critical to life on Earth.

  3. Imaging the tessera: The coolest part of the mission for non-scientists will be the images from the descent, as the probe approaches a region known as Alpha Regio, a “tessera.” These may be ancient continents, raised up from the surface a bit like a mountain range. It will likely give us the clearest view ever of Venus’ surface.

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