One-sentence Summary

Developed in early 2023 by the Venus Exploration Analysis Group, this broader and longer-term strategy comprises six complementary themes to lay the foundation for NASA to establish a formal Venus Exploration Program in the 2030s with a clearly defined end goal.

Key Contributions

• Presents a long-term Venus exploration strategy developed by the Venus Exploration Analysis Group that organizes future efforts around six complementary themes spanning mission architecture, resource utilization, and international partnerships. This framework establishes the structural foundation for a multi-decade scientific roadmap.
• Defines a formal pathway for NASA to establish a Venus Exploration Program in the 2030s, anchored by a capstone surface sample return mission that synthesizes data from the VERITAS, DAVINCI, and EnVision missions. This objective incorporates the VISTA flagship-class mission concept to guide long-term architectural planning.
• Details a community-driven development process that integrated feedback from multiple planetary science conferences and international assemblies to finalize the exploration roadmap. The strategy also provides a targeted advocacy framework aligned with the 2033-2042 Planetary Science Decadal Survey to secure sustained institutional support.

Introduction

Venus provides a uniquely accessible laboratory for addressing fundamental questions about planetary evolution, habitability, and exoplanet characterization, yet decades of fragmented exploration have left critical gaps in the understanding of its surface composition, atmospheric dynamics, and interior structure. Extreme environmental conditions and the absence of dedicated missions since the 1990s have historically constrained comprehensive data collection and long-term surface operations. The authors propose a sustained, integrated Venus Exploration Program that pairs upcoming orbital and atmospheric missions with targeted development of high-temperature electronics, aerial platforms, and orbital communications infrastructure. By aligning technology maturation with cross-disciplinary science goals and international partnerships, this strategy delivers a clear roadmap for transforming Venus into a cornerstone of modern planetary science.

Dataset

• Dataset composition and sources: The authors cite prior planetary science literature but do not introduce or describe a curated dataset in the provided text.
• Key details for each subset: No subset sizes, data sources, or filtering rules are outlined, as the content consists entirely of bibliographic references.
• How the paper uses the data: The authors do not specify training splits, mixture ratios, or any data utilization strategy in this section.
• Processing details: No cropping strategies, metadata construction, or preprocessing steps are described in the provided references.