Venus sample return. A hot topic

Within the Solar System, Venus presents a set of unique challenges to obtaining samples and returning them to Earth. High temperatures, a thick corrosive atmosphere and poorly characterized terrain are some obvious examples. Our only knowledge of the surface and atmosphere is from Radar images and the data from Soviet probes. A point design now exists for a single launch mission to return Venusian samples massing about 100 g. This paper discusses this mission, addressing the science return, how some of Venus' attributes can be used to advantage and what technologies will be needed to make this mission a reality. It also explores possible future directions to make the mission more affordable.