KECK INSTITUTE FOR SPACE STUDIES

       

Venus In Situ Sample Capture Mission - Part II

May 9 - 13, 2022
California Institute of Technology - Pasadena, CA 91125

Map

Workshop Overview:

While the target of the very first interplanetary mission was Venus, there are still significant gaps in our knowledge about the planet. Although in situ Venus missions would have high scientific pay-off, they are faced with significant implementation challenges. Emerging long duration Venus in situ technologies require continuing development to reach the level of capability currently achievable by in situ missions on other solid bodies.  A long-lived surface mission could address many of our highest priority questions about Venus, but this is not practical owing to the harsh environment of the Venusian surface. Now is the time to consider unconventional architectures that leverage technological advancements to deliver new understanding about the surface and near-surface regions of Venus.

The goal of the workshop is to develop new concepts for in situ sample capture missions, where samples from the Venusian surface or lower atmosphere are delivered to an “airborne laboratory” for analysis. The Russians achieved both limited-lifetime landed missions (~2 hours on the surface) as well as balloon missions under the Venera and Vega programs. To date, the only in situ Venus information comes from these Russian missions and NASA’s Pioneer Venus Multiprobe mission. The challenging environment limits options and the accessible science; short-lived lander and aerial vehicle missions have been proposed, but have not been selected. The 2003 Decadal Survey ranked the Venus In Situ Explorer (VISE) highest among new inner planets mission concepts, but no mission proposal was successful. Venus Surface Sample Return (VSSR) promoted the exploration of options to return samples to Earth, but was discarded as too costly and complex. Despite this, the new Venus Exploration Roadmap recognizes that “the ability to carry out prolonged surface observations from a mobile platform operating on the surface or close to the surface would have enormous value,” but does not currently identify a path to do so. The first workshop focused on expansion of the trade space for architectures that collect samples at multiple locations for return to a longer-lived airborne laboratory, as well as the beginning of an analysis of feasibility and the science story.  Between the workshops, participants worked to answer some of the harder questions to help narrow the trade space.  This second workshop will work on describing in more detail a small number of down-selected architectures that span varying amounts of science return to make a recommendation for the next decadal survey.

Workshop participants will:

  • Review and reassess down-selected architectures,
  • Establish and discuss the scope of science enabled by each,
  • Determine the technology and analytical instruments needed, and pathways to development.

Monday May 9, 2022
Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Time
Event
Speaker
7:45 - 8:30 

Institute opens early for workshop check in, SHOW PROOF OF VACCINATION, take your rapid test, affirm you are not symptomatic nor have had contact with anyone who is, pick up badge and welcome packet, find seat in the Think Tank

8:30 - 9:00 Enjoy coffee and breakfast in the Keck Center courtyard
9:00 - 9:30 Workshop Logistics Janet Seid
9:30 - 10:00 Participant Introductions (and Audrey!) Team Leads
10:00 - 10:45 Recap of Workshop #1:
Way Forward and Study Vision, Goals, and Expectations for Workshop #2
Team Leads
10:45 - 11:15 Break
11:15 - 11:45 Finalize Workshop Goals via Plenary Discussion Team Leads
11:45 - 12:00 Working Group Report Out: Trip through the Matrix Alison Santos
12:00 - 12:15 Working Group Report Out: Sampling Jacob Izraelevitz
12:15 - 2:00 Group Picture and Lunch at the Athenaeum
2:00 - 2:15 Working Group Report Out: Aerial Lab Jason Rabinovitch
2:15 - 2:30 Working Group Report Out: Architecture John Elliott
2:30 - 3:00 Solicitation of Lightning Talks Team Leads
3:00 - 3:30 Group Discussion - Are these three architectures the "right" three to span solution space? All
3:30 - 4:00 Break All
4:00 - 5:30

Breakout #1:
What are the remaining high-level knowledge gaps for this specific architecture? Which can we make progress on in-session (and discuss), which should we not spend time on because progress is not possible in-session, and which are (maybe) answerable outside of session (and how/who)?

Groups: Separated by Architectures

All
5:30 - 5:45 Recap and Discuss Direction for Day 2 Team Leads
5:45 - 6:00 Pack up and head out to dinner All
6:00 OPTIONAL: local, informal outdoor dinner for any interested participants led by one of the team leads

Tuesday May 10, 2022
Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Time
Event
Speaker
8:00 - 8:30 Institute Opens - FREE THINK TIME
Check in, affirm you are not symptomatic nor have had contact with anyone who is
8:30 - 9:00 Enjoy coffee and breakfast in the Keck Center courtyard
9:00 - 9:15 Logistics and Team Lead Goals for the Day Team Leads
9:15 - 10:00 Group Report Outs from Breakout Session #1 (15 mins each) Groups
10:00 - 10:30 How to write a flagship concept Marty Gilmore
10:30 - 11:00 Break
11:00 - 11:30 Group Discussion: Lessons from the (current) Decadal? Where do we, and our report, fit into the next Decadal? Noam Izenberg
11:30 - 12:00 Lightning Talks TBD by participants
12:00 - 1:30 Lunch on your own
1:30 - 3:00

Breakout #2:
What are the remaining questions (tall tent poles) for sampling, Aerial Lab? What are the needs to close these loops (knowledge from earlier missions, technology developments)?

Groups:
Randomize to force new people into teams. SubTeam Leads remain with their topic.

All
3:00 - 3:30 Break
3:30 - 4:00 Group Report outs from Breakout Session #2 (10 mins each) Groups
4:00 - 4:30 KISS Final Report needs: What is our goal? What is our message? What is the right presentation/structure? Who is the audience? All
4:30 - 5:30 Recap and Discuss Direction for Day 3 All
5:30 - 6:00 Pack up and walk to the Athenaeum All
6:00 - 8:00 Dinner at the Athenaeum

Wednesday May 11, 2022
Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Time
Event
Speaker
8:00 - 8:30

Institute Opens - FREE THINK TIME
Take your rapid test if you did not take it in your hotel or at home, check in, affirm you are not symptomatic nor have had contact with anyone who is

8:30 - 9:00

Enjoy coffee and breakfast in the Keck Center courtyard

9:00 - 9:15

Logistics and Team Lead Goals for the Day

Team Leads
9:15 - 10:15

Special Talk:
Programmatic Considerations - How to "get" a flagship mission

Tony Freeman
10:15 - 10:45

Break

10:45 - 12:00

Breakout #3: What is needed to have a version of this mission submitted to the NEXT decadal survey for consideration for a flagship class mission?

All
12:00 - 12:30

Group Report outs from Breakout Session #3 (10 mins each)

Groups
12:30 - 2:00

Lunch at the Athenaeum

2:00 - 3:30

Group pulse: What are big conclusions so far, what topics need more attention?

All
3:30 - 4:00

Break

4:00 - 5:30

Report brain storm: Storyboarding (including sections and authorship)

All
5:30 OPTIONAL: local, informal outdoor dinner for any interested participants led by one of the team leads

Thursday May 12, 2022
Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Time
Event
Speaker
8:00 - 8:30

Institute Opens - FREE THINK TIME
Check in, affirm you are not symptomatic nor have had contact with anyone who is

8:30 - 9:00 Enjoy coffee and breakfast in the Keck Center courtyard
9:00 - 9:15 Logistics and Team Lead Goals for the Day Team Leads
9:15 - 9:25 Selection of Groups and Topics for Breakout Session #4 All
9:25 - 11:00

Breakout #4: Closing the mission concept(s)
- What is missing?

Groups:
- high-level architecture add-ons (e.g. orbiter), technology development needs, Aerial Lab definition, report substructure

Groups
11:00 - 11:30 Break
11:30 - NOON Group Report outs from Breakout Session #4 Groups
NOON - 12:30 Discussion of Final Report and Report Structure Team Leads
12:30 - 2:00 Lunch on your own
2:00 - 2:30 Define writing assignments All
2:30 - 3:30 Writing Session #1 Groups/Individuals
3:30 - 4:00 Break
4:00 - 4:30 Identification of Additional Needed Inputs All
4:30 - 5:30 Discussion on Path Forward for Collaboration, Advocacy throughout the Community and To-Do List for Completion of Final Report Groups/Individuals
5:30 - 5:45 Recap and Discuss Direction for Day 5 Team Leads
5:45 - 6:00 Pack up and walk to the Athenaeum All
6:00 Dinner on the Athenaeum Lawn

Friday May 13, 2022
Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Time
Event
Speaker
8:00 - 8:30

Institute Opens - FREE THINK TIME
Check in, affirm you are not symptomatic nor have had contact with anyone who is

8:30 - 9:00 Enjoy coffee and breakfast in the Keck Center courtyard
9:00 - 9:15 Logistics and Team Lead Goals for the Day Team Leads
9:15 - 10:45 Final Report Imagery: Discuss what is needed, breakouts to work on images Groups/Individuals
10:45 - 11:15 Break
11:15 - 11:45 Group report outs Teams
11:45 - 12:30 Workshop Summary and next steps Team Leads
12:30 - 1:30 Informal lunch box in the Courtyard
1:30 - 3:30 Optional: Writing Session #2 Groups/Individuals
3:30 - 4:00 Break
4:00 - 5:00 Optional: Writing Session #3 All
5:00 Workshop Concludes (please leave Old Town standing)

Workshop Participants:

  • Rachana Agrawal - Purdue University
  • Carolina Aiazzi - JPL
  • Paul Asimow - Caltech
  • Jeffrey (Jeff) Balcerski - NASA Glenn Research Center
  • Pat Beauchamp - JPL
  • Dean Bergman - Honeybee Robotics
  • Ben Cameron - Creare LLC
  • Bruce Cogan - NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center
  • Jim Cutts - JPL
  • Bethany Ehlmann - Caltech
  • John Elliott - JPL
  • Katherine Faber - Caltech
  • Richard (Rick) Flagan - Caltech
  • Brent Fultz - Caltech
  • Gary Hunter - NASA Glenn Research Center
  • Noem Izenberg - Johns Hopkins University APL
  • Jacob Izraelevitz - JPL
  • Damon Landau - JPL
  • Joe O’Rourke - Arizona State University
  • Cullen Quine - Caltech
  • Jason Rabinovitch - Stevens Institute of Technology
  • Matt Salis - JPL
  • Alison Santos - Wesleyan University
  • Valerie Scott - JPL
  • Francois Tissot - Caltech