DAVINCI is a planned mission for an orbiter and atmospheric probe to the planet Venus. Together with the separate VERITAS mission, which will also study Venus, it was selected by NASA on 2 June 2021 to be part of their Discovery Program. Its acronym is inspired by Leonardo da Vinci in honor of his scientific innovations, aerial sketches and constructions.
Artist's concept of DAVINCI's descent stages
During its 63-minute descent, DAVINCI will collect and return measurements of Venus' atmospheric composition.
Components of the Venus Mass Spectrometer (VMS) instrument to be installed in the atmospheric probe. The job of VMS is to sample gas during the probe's descent, analyze it, and provide us with information about the chemical composition of the Venusian atmosphere and possible connections to surface mineralogies.
VERITAS is an upcoming mission from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to map the surface of the planet Venus in high resolution. The combination of topography, near-infrared spectroscopy, and radar image data will provide knowledge of Venus's tectonic and impact history, gravity, geochemistry, the timing and mechanisms of volcanic resurfacing, and the mantle processes responsible for them.
Illustration of VERITAS spacecraft in orbit around Venus
Venus is roughly the same size as Earth, but has a drastically different climate and surface
