EnVision Science Operation Activities: Global observation scenario

EnVision is the next European Space Agency (ESA) mission to Venus, planned for launch in the early 2030s. The mission will perform a holistic investigation of Venus from its inner core to its upper atmosphere, combining radar imaging, subsurface sounding, spectroscopy, and radio science. EnVision aims to understand how Venus evolved into a world so different from Earth despite their similar size and composition. During its nominal four-year science phase in orbit around Venus, the mission will study geological activity, surface–atmosphere interactions, and atmospheric dynamics. By coupling observations of the surface, interior, and atmosphere, EnVision will provide an integrated view of the planet’s past and present evolution.

EnVision will orbit Venus on a low-altitude, short-period orbit made possible through approximately one year of aerobraking that will precede the science phase of the mission. The resulting ~50-minute low-altitude orbit, with a pericentre altitude of ~220 km and an apocentre altitude of ~540 km, will enable repeated observations of the same regions of the planet. This orbital configuration is particularly well suited for monitoring temporal surface changes, improving spatial coverage, and supporting synergistic observations between the different instruments throughout the nominal four-year mission.

The EnVision Science Operations Centre (SOC) at ESAC initiated mission preparation much earlier than for previous ESA missions to ensure the feasibility of long-term monitoring of surface and atmospheric composition changes. The mission’s suite of instruments and experiments, including the SAR altimetry mode, VenSpec UV and IR nadir spectrometers, the Subsurface Radar Sounder (SRS), and the Radio Science Experiment (RSE) dedicated to Earth radio-occultations and gravity investigations, will characterize the global distribution of atmospheric gases, low-resolution subsurface structures, the radiative state of the troposphere and mesosphere, and the gravitational field of Venus.

To maximize the scientific returns, the SOC is developing science operations tools and observation strategies together with an observation scenario framework that is sufficiently constrained to fulfil the mission’s scientific requirements while preserving flexibility for additional observations that may become necessary during the science phase.

This communication summarizes the current strategy for science operations dedicated to global observations and presents future developments aimed at strengthening the synergy between the different instruments.