NASA NTRS2020
The Venus Bridge Orbiter and Surface Study (V-BOSS) Compass concurrent engineering design team study shows that new, high-priority Venus science can be achieved using a linked Orbiter + Surface Element (Lander) mission concept within a $200M cost cap with assumptions. This is feasible through optimizing investment in early technologies and platforms, such as the Long-Lived In-Situ Solar System Explorer (LLISSE), leveraging known and flight-ready technology, and the overall use of simple, small, robust systems in innovative approaches to Venus exploration. This architecture allows a range of science investigations through modification of Orbiter-Lander platforms in this study through choice of other instruments (often sensors), science themes, or operational modes. In particular, a fundamental strength of this approach is to provide science not available in other ways by using simplified architectures including rugged systems operable in-situ on the Venus surface. Such investigations would be pathfinders for more complex, and more expensive, future missions. Additionally, the results of this study can be used to further champion the need, value and return of early investment technology programs for the hard problem of in-situ investigations at Venus.