Venus atmosphere and regolith earth delivery system (Vareds)

Despite being our planetary neighbor and sister planet, Venus has not witnessed any robotic exploration since the conclusion of Vega program in 1984. Although the planet’s surface conditions are inhospitable, there exists an atmospheric region in the lower cloud layer where the temperature, pressure, and pH are amenable to certain terrestrial microbes. The limited capabilities of past surface modules led to the development of a Venus sample return mission architecture. The Venus Atmosphere and Regolith Earth Delivery System (VAREDS) consists of an orbiter, lander and rocket, designed to extract and deliver regolith and atmospheric gas samples to Earth. The lander uses a power system developed for the ALIVE mission which utilizes in-situ atmospheric carbon dioxide to combust lithium fuel, heating a Duplex Stirling for electrical and cooling power. Additional cooling is provided by lithium nitrate trihydrate and liquid ammonia heat sinks. Waste ammonia vapor inflates a zero pressure balloon which lifts the sample return rocket through the dense lower atmosphere. The rocket is outfitted with an aerospike engine which addresses the large pressure gradient seen in the Venusian atmosphere. The rocket burns solid propellant until rendezvous with the orbiter, where the samples are transferred and ferried back to Earth’s vicinity.