Simulating the VERITAS Gravity Science Investigation: Challenges and Advancements
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Cascioli, G., Erwan Mazarico, F. Giuliani, et al. "Simulating the VERITAS Gravity Science Investigation: Challenges and Advancements." 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 2025. https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2025/pdf/1884.pdf.
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This work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.
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Abstract
VERITAS, the upcoming NASA Discovery mission to Venus, will be the first probe to investigate Venus’s surface processes and interior structure since the Magellan mission concluded in 1994. Among its investigations, VERITAS will conduct a Gravity Science investigation, key to advance our understanding of Earth’s twin planet’s interior. The dual X/Ka-band tracking system, capable of Doppler accuracy of about 18 𝜇m/s at 10s integration time, will allow to resolve the gravity field of Venus with a resolution of <106 km globally with <4 mGal RMS accuracy. Moreover, VERITAS will measure the tidal response and moment of inertia of the planet, providing an unprecedented insight on the interior structure of Venus. We present the latest numerical simulations of the gravity recovery and their implications for the characterization of the interior structure and ongoing surface processes.