This is a proposal for participation in the vensar science team to contribute to the planning of vensar radiometry observations. Radiothermal emission from a planet s surface contains information…

This federal contract award, valued at $53,333.89, was granted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) to contribute to the planning of radiometry observations for the Vensar instrument on the upcoming Envision mission to Venus. UAF's Grants and Contracts Administration Division, operating as Grants & Contracts, will carry out the work.

The contract has two primary tasks: (1) using previous Magellan mission data to identify suitable Venus surface targets for material characterization and radiometry calibration, and (2) exploring synergies between the Vensar and VenSpec-M instruments to detect potential recent volcanic activity. Additionally, the principal investigator will participate in broader Vensar science team activities. This contract award aligns with key Envision mission science objectives related to surface modification and present volcanic activity on Venus.

The contract does not have a set-aside designation, reflecting UAF's status as a public research university. As the state's flagship institution, UAF has significant expertise in Arctic and climate research, as well as specialized facilities and equipment that enable it to contribute valuable scientific and technical services to federal agencies like NASA.

This is a proposal for participation in the vensar science team to contribute to the planning of vensar radiometry observations. Radiothermal emission from a planet s surface contains information about material dielectric properties, microwave loss properties, and shallow-subsurface thermal structure. Prior passive microwave observations of venus s surface from pioneer and magellan orbiters have been valuable in studying spatial trends in surface microwave emission, especially as a function of elevation. These observations, however, were restricted to single polarization and single acquisition geometry for any given location on the surface. Envision s vensar instrument will acquire passive emission measurements at two orthogonal polarizations (h and v) and multiple viewing geometries for the first time, making for a more valuable opportunity to characterize venus s surface material properties. Additionally, thrice-repeated passive observations of the surface will be valuable in monitoring any high surface emission associated with potentially recent volcanic activity. We propose two primary tasks, grounded in prior observations and theoretical knowledge of venus s surface, that will aid in vensar radiometry observation planning (stand-alone and synergistic) and maximizing the usefulness of the observations. We will magellan observations to identify targets on the surface that are smooth at vensar wavelength (~9.4 CM) scales that are suitable for material dielectric characterization and absolute radiometry calibration. Task 2. We will explore opportunities for synergistic observations between vensar and venspec-m to maximize detection of any recent volcanic activity by simulating the surface emission these instruments would measure, at corresponding wavelengths, from lava flows that are a few hours to three months old. In addition to these proposed tasks, the PI will participate in additional science team activities including general targeting and operations, additional instrument calibration efforts, attending team meetings, contributing to discussions, and building open-source, community tools that enhance data products accessibility and usability. The proposed activities address the objectives of the vensar science team (vest) participation program. The primary tasks are directly relevant to science objectives 2.2.3 (surface modification) and 2.2.5 (present volcanic activity) listed in the envision yellow book the tasks are also relevant to science objectives 2.2.1, 2.2.2, and 2.2.7.