An architecture program for the robotic exploration of Venus
To date, most space exploration has focused on the solar system beyond Earth's orbit while the inner solar system between Earth and the Sun has received only limited attention. In this region, Venus, with a similar size and mass to Earth but with a very different environment, is probably the most interesting body. The most notable feature of Venus is the extreme runaway greenhouse effect. This phenomenon is considered a potential fate for the Earth in the future. Exploring Venus could help mitigate this threat. However, the environment of Venus is sufficiently challenging as to preclude the possibility of physical human presence for the foreseeable future. Consequently, robot-mediated exploration is required
The VEVA Mission; exploration of Venus volcanoes and atmosphere
Greeley, E. R. Stofan, M. H. Acuna, A. Chutjian, D. Crisp, J. Cutts, B. Fegley, J. Guest, J. W. Head, K. Klaasen, J. P. Mustard, D. Senske, Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, campbell@ceps.nasm.edu, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, University College London, London NW8 9RE, UK, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, Jet Propulsion Lab, Pasadena, CA 91109, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912.
The transfer of viable microorganisms between planets.
There is increasing acceptance that catastrophic cosmic impacts have played an important role in shaping the history of terrestrial life. Large asteroid and cometary impacts are also capable of displacing substantial quantities of planetary surface material into space. The discovery of Martian rocks on Earth suggests that viable microorganisms within such ejecta could be exchanged between planets. If this conjecture is correct, it will have profound implications for the origin and evolution of life in the solar system.