VATMOS-SR: a space mission to understand the origin and evolution of Venus, candidate for the European Space Agency
Under the leadership of Guillaume Avice CNRS researchers at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP) and Christophe Sotin (Pr. at Nantes University, LPG), the VATMOS-SR mission project could mark the beginning of a new era for European space exploration. Drawing on their expertise in isotopic geochemistry and planetary science, the researchers—together with colleagues from IPGP, LPG, and other European, American, and Japanese scientists—propose this bold initiative: to return, for the first time, samples from the atmosphere of Venus. This work is fully aligned with the IPGP’s scientific commitment to exploring the origins, evolution, and dynamics of rocky planets.
Logo VATMOS-SR
Publication date: 21/05/2025
Events, Research
Scientific Objectives: Tracing the Origin and History of Venus
After a four-month journey to Venus, the VATMOS-SR probe will dive into the Venusian atmosphere (at an altitude of around 110 km) to collect several liters of gas from Earth’s sister planet. Following an eight-month return trip, the samples will be recovered after atmospheric reentry, enabling detailed laboratory measurements to determine:
The origin of volatile elements (C, N, O) including noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe), and thus the origin of Venus’s atmosphere;
The history of water loss on Venus through atmospheric escape mechanisms;
The volcanic history, particularly the degassing history of the planet.
Precise analysis of these samples will help answer two major questions: Was Venus ever habitable? Why did the geological evolution of our sister planet diverge so drastically from that of Earth?
With over 40 types of measurements, the mission aims to understand why Venus experienced a radically different evolutionary path despite a formation process similar to Earth’s.
Support from CNES: A Human and Technological Commitment
CNES (the French Space Agency) plays a central role in the project, providing strategic support through human resources via the PASO (Orbital Systems Architecture Platform): engineers, mission experts, and specialists in atmospheric reentry and interplanetary flight technologies. From the earliest feasibility studies (Phase 0), CNES has significantly contributed to defining the mission concept and has also provided financial support to the proposer (G. Avice).
Mission Timeline
The project is being submitted as part of ESA’s call for F-class missions (F for “Fast”) with the following timeline:
May 2025: Submission of a preliminary proposal to ESA;
Summer 2025: First selection stage by ESA, a critical milestone for submitting a full proposal in 2026. This assessment will focus on scientific merit, technical feasibility, and compliance with budgetary constraints;
End of 2026: Official selection of the chosen missions;
2034: Planned launch from Kourou aboard a Vega-C launcher;
2035: Return to Earth of the Venus atmosphere samples, one year after launch.
Selection in the summer of 2025 is therefore pivotal: it will determine whether this strategic project moves forward—for Europe and for our understanding of the origin and evolution of terrestrial planets.
