Venus Exploration Analysis Group

About Us

The Venus Exploration Analysis Group is NASA's community-based forum formed to provide scientific input and technology development plans for planning and prioritizing the exploration of Venus over the next several decades, including a Venus surface sample return mission. VEXAG is chartered by NASA's Solar System Exploration Division and reports its findings to NASA. Open to all interested scientists, VEXAG regularly evaluates Venus exploration goals, scientific objectives, investigations and critical measurement requirements, including especially recommendations in the Decadal Survey and the Solar System Exploration Strategic Roadmap.

In addition to interested members of the scientific community, each focus group will include technology experts, NASA representatives, international partner representatives, EPO experts, and the chair. The current focus groups are listed below. Other focus groups may be added, as needed.

Steering Committe Member Position/Roles Tenure
Noam Izenberg
Applied Physics Laboratory
Chair, SAWs 1, 2, 9, 10, 16, NEXSS June 2022 - May 2025
Debra Buczkowski
Applied Physics Laboratory
Deputy Chair, SAWs 1, 2, 14 1/1/22–12/31/24
Natasha Johnson
Goddard Space Flight Center
At Large Member, SAWs 9, 10, Listserve July 2020–June 2023
Stephen Kane
UC Riverside
At Large Member July 2020–June 2023
Molly McCanta
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
At Large Member, SAW 11 January 2021–December 2023
Jason Rabinovitch
Stevens Institute of Technology
At Large Member, SAW 2, 12 January 2021–December 2023
Sara Port
NASA Glenn Research Center
At Large Member, SAW 5, 9. OVEN Liaison July 2021–June 2024
Siddharth Krishnamoorthy
JPL
At Large Member, SAW 2, 12 July 2021–June 2024
Chuanfei Dong
Princeton University
At Large Member, SAW 4 1/1/22–12/31/24
Eric Grosfils
Pomona College
At Large Member, SAW 10, 14 7/1/22–6/30/25
Erika Kohler
Goddard Space Flight Center
At Large Member, SAW 3, 7 7/1/22–6/30/25
Alexander Akins
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
At Large Member January 2023 - December 2025
Tracy Gregg
University of Buffalo
At Large Member January 2023 - December 2025
Michael Way
Goddard Institute of Space Studies
At Large Member January 2023 - December 2025
Anna Gulcher
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
At Large Member July 2023 - June 2026
Daniel Nunes
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
At Large Member July 2023 - June 2026
Megan Ansdell
NASA HQ Liaison
Ex officio  
Nicholas Lang
NASA HQ Liaison
Ex officio  

 

VEXAG Study/Science Analysis Workgroups (SAWs)

Descriptions and memberships have been updated for the start of 2023

* Lead Member

 
1: VEXAG Organization Documentation

GOAL:
Codify and simplify regular VEXAG procedures and calendar events to help future iterations of the VEXAG steering committee draw on past experience to plan recurring activities.

PRODUCTS:
A single document with calendars, procedures and recommendations to be updated with experience

MEMBERS:
Noam Izenberg*, Dabra Bczkcowski

TIMELINE:
Completion by the VEXAG 2020 meeting, status updates at each SC meeting

 
2: VEXAG 2023 Meeting Org.

GOAL:
Prepare for 2023 VEXAG

PRODUCTS:
The VEXAG 2023 meeting

MEMBERS:
Noam Izenberg*, Dabra Bczkcowski, Siddharth Krishnamoorthy, Jason Rabinovich

TIMELINE:
Standing up in early 2023

 
3: “Off Season” Meeting Org.

GOAL:
Prepare for 2023 VEXAG off season meeting

PRODUCTS:
The VEXAG off season meeting

MEMBERS:
Erika Kohler*, + TBD

TIMELINE:
Standing up in early 2023

 
4: Theme change: Venus Exploration Strategy

GOAL:
Develop Venus Exploration Strategy for the next decade with the community for NASA

PRODUCTS:
Revised or new VEGASO document. Recommendation (or not) for new Landing site workshop

MEMBERS:
Paul Byrne*, Chuanfei Dong, Alison Santos, Emilie Royer, Christopher Fowler, Reginal Moreno, Candace Paybe, Gary Hunter

TIMELINE:
Determination by summer 2020, update by VEXAG 2020, status reports at each SC meeting

 
5: Venus Science Nuggets

GOAL:
Identify, pursue, and aid creation of Venus Science Nuggets for NASA and VEXAG

PRODUCTS:
1-slide Venus Science Nuggets.

MEMBERS:
Jason Rabinovich, Sara Port, + TBD

TIMELINE:
Ongoing, status reports at each SC meeting

 
6: Venus Surface Platform Study

GOAL:
Complete study begun in 2018

PRODUCTS:
Workshop study report.

MEMBERS:
Leads Tibor Kremic, Mike Amato

TIMELINE:
By VEXAG 2020 meeting. Reports at each SC meeting

 
7: Theme change: Venus Experimental Facilities

GOAL:
Maintain knowledge base of Venus experimental facilities, promote use and growth of facilities, and help scientists find the experimental resources they need

PRODUCTS:
Public Database

MEMBERS:
Alison Santos, Jeff Balcerski, Darby Dyar Erika Kohler

TIMELINE:
TBD

 
8: RETIRED: - Outreach SAW function is now covered by LPI Venus outreach program. VEXAG will now have an Officer liaison to this group.

 
9: Venus Social Media

GOAL:
Ongoing evaluation of increasing Venus awareness and advocacy in the planetary community and public at large.

PRODUCTS:
TBD

MEMBERS:
Elise Merchack*, Sara Port, Noam Izenberg, Indujaa Ganesh, Natasha Johnson

TIMELINE:
TBD

 
10: VEXAG website

GOAL:
Review contents of LPI’s VEXAG web site and update as appropriate

PRODUCTS:
Updated LPI VEXAG Web Site by mid-2021. Update current VEXAG Web-Site to have the look and feel of OPAG’s, SBAG’s Mercury Exploration Assessment Group (MExAG)

MEMBERS:
Natasha Johnson* Noam Izenberg, Michael Beaudry, Eric Grosfils

TIMELINE:
Tag-Up telecons every 2 weeks starting in mid-January 2021

 
11: IDEA: Inclusion Diversity Equity Access

GOAL:
Support, create, promote IDEA goals and initiatives within VEXAG and the Venus community at large. Represent VEXAG in IDEA inter-AG workgroup

PRODUCTS:
Code of conduct, SC membership search/review policy.

MEMBERS:
Molly McCanta, Joshua Knicely, +TBD

TIMELINE:
Periodic reports at SC meetings, product documents by VEXAG 2021

 
12: Aerial platforms

GOAL:
TBD

PRODUCTS:
TBD

MEMBERS:
Siddharth Krishnamoorthy*, Joe O’Rourke, Paul Byrne, Bruce Cogan, Jacob Israelovitz, Tibor Kremic

TIMELINE:
TBD

 
13: RETIRED - Early Career Outreach is now the purview of the Opportunities for Venus Early Career Networking (OVEN) group. VEXAG will have an Early Career Officer Liaison to this group

 
14: Venus Mapping

GOAL:
Under development. Promote and enable Venus mapping efforts in NASA research and analysis.

PRODUCTS:
TBD

MEMBERS:
Debra Buczkowski, Eric Grosfils, +TBD

TIMELINE:
Standing up in 2023

 
15: Surface Platforms

GOAL:
Under development. Promote surface platform technology solutions, implementations, incorporations into research and missions. Promote ties between science and industry/technical research.

PRODUCTS:
TBD

MEMBERS:
Alison Santos, +TBD

TIMELINE:
Standing up in 2023

 
16: Mentoring

GOAL:
Connect underserved and/or early Venus researchers at institutions without strong Venus programs with appropriate mentors across the discipline, to grow an interconnected Venus community.

PRODUCTS:
TBD

MEMBERS:
Noam Izenberg, +TBD

TIMELINE:
Standing up in 2023

 


Past VEXAG Co-Chairs (in chronological order)

Janet Luhmann
University of California, Berkeley, California

Sushil Atreya
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ellen Stofan
John and Adrienne Mars Director of the National Air and Space Museum

Suzanne Smrekar
JPL, Pasadena, California

Sanjay Limaye
University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin

Lori Glaze 
Director of NASA's Science Mission Directorate's Planetary Science Division

Bob Grimm
Southwest Research Institute

Darby Dyar
Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachussetts


NASA and LPI contacts:

Dr. Megan Ansdell, NASA Executive Officer for VEXAG
Andrew Shaner, LPI


Venus Organizational Documents

VEXAG Meetings and Schedules

IDEA Policy and Code of Conduct

Steering Committee Selection and Rotation

SAW Organization and Guidelines


VEXAG honors the memory of Thomas (Tommy) Thompson, longtime VEXAG scribe who was involved in the formation of VEXAG in 2005 and was closely involved with it for the next 16 years. We are grateful for both his scientific and programmatic contributions to the exploration of Venus.


Terms of Reference

Details about VEXAG, including its purpose, activities, organization, and processes can be found in the VEXAG Terms of Reference.

 

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