VESPEr: Vapor Experiment for Space and Planetary Exploration

We propose to develop a low-mass; low-volume; low-cost instrument for in-situ measurements of vapor concentrations in planetary atmospheres. We will partner with planetary scientists at the University of California; Berkeley to develop an innovative measurement method; and develop an instrument design that implements the new method. We envision that the new instrument will lower the cost of future planetary probes; and enable multi-probe missions that will determine the spatial distribution of vapor molecules in various planetary atmospheres.

The Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Surveys have repeatedly recommended atmospheric probes to be sent to Saturn; Uranus; Neptune and Venus; and understanding the spatial distribution of cloud-forming vapor molecules is a major scientific objective at each of the destinations. However; due to the high mass/size/cost of the current-generation instruments that can sense those molecules; each mission can afford only a single probe; and limits their potential to measure variability of those vapor distributions between different locations. Thus; lowering the cost of atmospheric vapor instrument would open the potential for these future missions to carry multiple probes entering different locations.

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