Venus Science Coordiation Group (VeSCoor)

A new era of Venus science investigation has commenced thanks to the selection of three complementary Venus missions (ESA's Medium-class mission EnVision and NASA's two Discovery missions, VERITAS and DAVINCI). With these missions planned to visit Venus in the next 10-15 years, ESA and NASA deemed it timely to establish a Venus Science Coordination group (VeSCoor).

VeSCoor is a Venus missions forum for dialogue within the broader Venus scientific community, in support of the upcoming ESA and NASA missions to Venus. VeSCoor's primary goal is to identify new, unanticipated scientific approaches and outcomes based on synergies among the missions to Venus and suggest studies to enhance overall scientific return.

VeSCoor will not evaluate or propose changes to the current mission profiles, scientific objectives, or requirements.

ESA selected members:

• Prof. Lucia Marinangeli (co-chair), Universita G. d'Annunzio, Italy
• Dr. Giulia Alemanno, Institute of Planetary Research (DLR), Germany
• Prof. Yoshifumi Futaana, Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF), Sweden
• Dr. James Holmes, School of Physical Sciences, The Open University, United Kingdom
• Prof. Iván López Ruiz-Labranderas, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Spain
• Dr. Arianna Piccialli, Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Belgium

NASA selected members:

• Dr. Patrick J. McGovern (co-chair), Lunar Planetary Institute USRA, USA
• Dr. Tatiana Bocanegra-Bahamon, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USA
• Prof. Larry W. Esposito, Laboratory of Atmospheric & Space Physics (LAPS), University of Colorado, USA
• Prof. Tracy Gregg, University of Buffalo, USA
• Prof. Joseph G. O'Rourke, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA
• Prof. Jason Rabinovitch, Stevens Institute of Technology, USA

Mission representative members:

• Dr. Jim Garvin (DAVINCI), NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, USA
• Dr. Joern Helbert (EnVision), Institute of Planetary Research (DLR), Germany
• Dr. Sue Smrekar (VERITAS), NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USA
• Prof. Takeshi Imamura (AKATSUKI), University of Tokyo, Japan (JAXA appointed)

Science observers:

• Dr. Yeon Joo Lee, Climate and Earth Science Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, South Korea
• Prof. Hiroki Ando, Kyoto Sangyo University, Japan (JAXA appointed)

NASA and ESA observers:

• Dr. Nick Lang (NASA HQ, DAVINCI Program Scientist)
• Dr. Mitch Schulte (NASA HQ, EnVision and VERITAS Program Scientist)
• Dr. Anne Grete Straume-Lindner (ESA, EnVision Project Scientist)
• Dr. Ramon de Paula (NASA HQ, EnVision and VERITAS Program Executive)
• Dr. Yannis Zouganelis (ESA, Solar System Science Coordinator)

An artist's impression of a volcanic eruption on Venus. Credits: ESA/AOES Medialab.