The European Venus Explorer (EVE), known until 2007 as the Venus Entry Probe (VEP), is a proposed European Space Agency space probe to Venus. In the timeline of the 2005 TRS (technology reference study), the spacecraft was proposed to be launched on a Soyuz-2/Fregat launch vehicle around 2013.[1] However, requests to fund and develop the spacecraft in 2007[2] and 2010[3] were rejected.[4]
EVE was a Medium-Class mission proposal in the Cosmic Vision programme.[5] The mission concept consisted of an orbiter and balloon which would circumnavigate the planet over the course of one week, and a lander probe which would operate for approximately one hour on the surface.[5]
Overview
The mission concept calls for two satellites: the Venus Polar Orbiter (VPO), for remote sensing of the atmospheric, and the Venus Elliptical Orbiter (VEO), which deploys the entry probe from a highly elliptical orbit. The entry probe would contain a balloon-aerobot which floats in benign conditions at 55 km altitude in the middle cloud layer, and would drop up to 15 microprobes into the lower atmosphere.[1][5]
References
- ^ a b ESA description of the VEP technology reference study
- ^ First proposal for launch in 2016-18 timeframe
- ^ Second proposal for 2021-23 launch
- ^ EVE - European Venus Explorer
- ^ a b c Chassefière, E.; Korablev, O.; Imamura, T.; Baines, K. H.; Wilson, C. F.; Titov, D. V.; Aplin, K. L.; Balint, T.; Blamont, J. E. (2009-03-01). "European Venus Explorer (EVE): an in-situ mission to Venus". Experimental Astronomy. 23 (3): 741–760. Bibcode:2009ExA....23..741C. doi:10.1007/s10686-008-9093-x. ISSN 0922-6435.
External links
- ESA - Venus Entry Probe - an atmospheric probe
- Contractor for the SSTL/ESA – Venus Entry Probe study
- French article mentioning the Venus Entry Probe