Scientists Chosen to Help on Venus Climate Orbiter
NASA has established a Venus Climate Orbiter Participating Scientist Program to complement scientific return of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)-led Venus Climate Orbiter, or "Akatsuki" mission.
NASA has established a Venus Climate Orbiter Participating Scientist Program to complement scientific return of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)-led Venus Climate Orbiter, or "Akatsuki" mission. The Participating Scientist Program will fund two scientists in residence to live in Japan and five Participating Scientists to conduct joint research with the Venus Climate Orbiter science team.Based on peer-reviewed proposals submitted to NASA, NASA and JAXA are pleased to announce the following joint selections of U.S. Participating Scientists:Participating Scientist in ResidenceName: Sanjay S. LimayeAffiliation: University of Wisconsin, MadisonProposal Title: Investigation of the Venus weather as a Participating Scientist inResidenceName: Kevin McGouldrickAffiliation: University of Colorado, BoulderProposal Title:	Combined theoretical and observational multi-disciplinary analysisof the structure and evolution of the clouds and hazes of VenusParticipating ScientistName: Charles H. ActonAffiliation: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.Proposal Title:	SPICE for Venus Climate OrbiterName: Ralph D. LorenzAffiliation: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md.Proposal Title:	Venus Atmosphere Studies with the Akatsuki Lightning CameraName: Gerald SchubertAffiliation: University of California, Los AngelesProposal Title:	Modeling Venus atmospheric dynamics with data from theVenus Climate Orbiter (Akatsuki)Name: Eliot F. YoungAffiliation: Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colo.Proposal Title: Identifying cloud properties and altitude: spectral image cubes toaccompany Akatsuki image dataName: Mark A. BullockAffiliation: Southwest Research Institute, San AntonioProposal Title:	Observational and theoretical constraints on current Venusvolcanism from Akatsuki UV and IR imagingAkatsuki was launched on May 21, 2010 (Japan Standard Time, JST) and is Japan's first mission to Venus. The spacecraft will arrive at Venus on Dec. 7, 2010, and will follow the Venus westward rotation of the atmosphere, mapping the circulation, evolution and vertical structure of the planet's thick clouds.The three-dimensional structure of the Venusian atmosphere and its temporal variation will be observed by using the Akatsuki spacecraft's imaging cameras (from the ultraviolet to thermal infrared wavelengths), a high-speed lightning detector and radio occultation techniques that will penetrate the thick Venusian atmosphere.  Akatsuki's systematic and continuous observations from a quasi-equatorial orbit will provide a complete dataset of atmospheric dynamics.Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and JAXA launched Akasutki aboard H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 17 (H-IIA F17) at 6:58:22 a.m. on May 21, 2010 (JST) from the Tanegashima Space Center. The mission lifespan in Venus orbit is approximately two Earth years.For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:http://www.nasa.gov.More information about JAXA's Venus Climate Orbiter is at:http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/planet_c/index_e.html.