European Venus Explorer

The European Venus Explorer (EVE), known until 2007 as the Venus Entry Probe (VEP), is a proposed European Space Agency space probe to Venus. In the timeline of the 2005 TRS (technology reference study), the spacecraft was planned to be launched on a Soyuz-2/Fregat launch vehicle around 2013.[1] However, submissions to act on the study in 2007[2] and 2010[3] have been rejected.[4]

Overview

The mission (in the 2005 TRS) would involve two satellites: the Venus Polar Orbiter (VPO), for remote sensing of the atmospheric, and the Venus Elliptical Orbiter (VEO), which deploys the entry probe from a highly elliptical orbit. The entry probe would contain a balloon-aerobot which floats in benign conditions at 55km in the middle cloud layer, and drops up to 15 microprobes into the lower atmosphere.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 ESA description of the VEP technology reference study
  2. ↑ First proposal for launch in 2016-18 timeframe
  3. ↑ Second proposal for 2021-23 launch
  4. ↑ EVE - European Venus Explorer
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