Entry, Descent, and Landing Simulation for DAVINCI

Abstract

The Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging(DAVINCI) mission is currently scheduled to launch in June 2029 to explore Venus via two flybys and a probe descent scheduled for June 2031. The goals of this mission is to study the origin, evolution, and current state of Venus, especially the deep Venusian atmosphere using an atmospheric probe named Zephyr. The Zephyr will take key measurements in the deep atmosphere of Venus and be the first probe to take high-resolution aerial photographs of a mountainous tesserae surface as it descends over the Alpha Regio highlands region, which has the oldest surfaces of Venus. The Zephyr’s descent trajectory, which determines the flight over the Alpha Regio, is crucial to meet the science objectives of the DAVINCI mission. To ensure the success of the DAVINCI mission, the Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) modeling has undergone several developments to track its trajectory, its uncertainties, and calculate metrics on the science data that can be transmitted. This paper will cover these developments and the current status of the EDL modeling.