Séverine Robert
Royal Institute d'Aeronomie, Bruxells

Abstract
Three space missions towards Venus have been recently selected. They will all be launched in the next decade. The European mission is called EnVision and its scientific objectives include understanding better the evolution and climate of Venus. The payload of the mission will be described with an emphasis on the VenSpec suite. Three spectrometers will be onboard to search for temporal variations in surface temperatures and tropospheric concentrations of volcanically emitted gases, indicative of volcanic eruptions. Observations of changes in lower atmospheric SO2 and H2O vapour levels, cloud level H2SO4 droplet concentration, and mesospheric SO2, are required to link specific volcanic events with past and ongoing observations of the variable and dynamic mesosphere, to understand both the importance of volatiles in volcanic activity on Venus and their effect on cloud maintenance and dynamics.
To contribute to this investigation, the infrared spectrometer, VenSpec-H, has been designed to at least measure H2O and HDO contents in the first scale height of Venus’ atmosphere and probe H2O, CO and SO2 in the 30 to 40 km altitude range. How spectral simulations led to the design of the instrument will also be presented

2022 December 14, 13:30

IA/U.Lisboa
Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa (C8.2.17)
Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa