Venus coordinated campaign

It is intended to establish a 'wish list' of coordinated measurements to complement both VEx and Akatsuki's instrumentation in local time, altitude range, regional coverage. and constrain mesosphere-thermosphere model parameters. It was noted in recent meetings (Koeln, Brussels, Tokyo) some science objectives can be reached out of significant coordination between ground-based and in-orbit measurements, such as continuous O2 1.27um airglow emission mapping in both hemispheres, effects of planetary-scale waves on the nightglow distribution; strongly variable winds in sub-mm CO and 10-um non-LTE CO2 using IR heterodyne on the dayside, and their coupling with thermal field measurements (VEx/SPICAV), constrains on the vertical extent of cyclostrophic balance in the mesosphere. The main drive of this ground-based activity is to study the dynamics of the Venus mesosphere (70-120 km) and lower thermosphere ( > 120 km) using techniques that can only be accomplished from the ground and not feasible from Venus Express (e.g. Doppler wind measurements on the day and night side of Venus, minor species distribution and abundance, requiring high spectral resolution in the visible, infrared and sub-millimeter range), and with a capability for uninterrupted monitoring of atmospheric wave activity / rapidly varying phenomena.

• Obtain simultaneous measurements over several levels in Venus' upper atmosphere
• Obtain cross-validation of different measurement techniques
• Extended spatial (both hemispheres) and temporal scales
• Constrain modeling of the mesosphere, e.g. validity domain of cyclostrophic approximation

Map

• 2010 Venus Coordinated Campaign

Instrumentation and Techniques

Link on the table: Instrumentation and Techniques

Observations and Operation Planning

Link on the table: Observations and Operation Planning

In-orbit observations

Venus Express

Instruments

• ASPERA : Analyser of Space Plasma and Energetic Atoms

• MAG : Venus Express Magnetometer

• SPICAV/SOIR : Ultraviolet and Infrared Atmospheric Spectrometer

• VeRa : Venus Radio Science Experiment

• VIRTIS : Ultraviolet/Visible/Near-Infrared mapping spectrometer

• VMC : Venus Monitoring Camera

Akatsuki

The Project

The Venus Climate Orbiter mission (PLANET-C), one of the future planetary missions of Japan, aims at understanding the atmospheric circulation of Venus. Meteorological information will be obtained by globally mapping clouds and minor constituents successively with 4 cameras at ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths, detecting lightning with a high-speed imager, and observing the vertical structure of the atmosphere with radio science technique. The equatorial elongated orbit with westward revolution fits the observations of the movement and temporal variation of the Venusian atmosphere which rotates westward. The systematic, continuous imaging observations will provide us with an unprecedented large dataset of the Venusian atmospheric dynamics. Additional targets of the mission are the exploration of the ground surface and the observation of zodiacal light. The mission will complement the ESA's Venus Express, which also explores the Venusian environment with different approaches.

extract of: http://www.stp.isas.jaxa.jp/venus/top_english.html

The project, a link to JAXA: JAXA

Instrumentation and Techniques

• IR1

1.01um cloud (day-night), surface (nightside)

• IR2

1.73, 2.26, 2.32 (near-IR) 2.02 (CO2), 1.65um

• UVI 283, 365 nm

SO2 - UV absorber (dayside)

• LIR

10 um cloud top (day/nightside)

• LAC

777, 551, 553, 558, 630 nm O2/O airglow (night) lightning (night)

More about the Akatsuki Instruments