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So DAVINCI is a mission
that does many things, but the primary

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part of the mission
is an entry descent science touchdown

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through the entire cross-section
of the atmosphere of Venus,

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where the clouds start
about 75km, that’s 230,000ft

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above the surface of the landscapes
and mountains below.

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A return to the atmosphere

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and surface for the first time
by the United States since the late 70s.

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Recently conducted a test
in the Utah Test and Training Range,

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which is managed by the United States

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Army and Air Force
in this beautiful part of western Utah.

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This particular drop test,
the first of many, will be helping

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understand all the behavior
of our spacecraft, our 1.1m diameter

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titanium sphere filled with chemistry
gear and imaging and other things.

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A full spacecraft,
kind of almost like a mini submarine.

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And so last year in the Utah Test
and Training Range, we dropped a test

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probe from about 1.5km above the surface,
dropped it as if we were on Venus.

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And during that experiment, to understand
dynamics of probes as they descend,

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we collected images
from which we constructed topographic maps

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of these beautiful playa landscapes
with sand dunes and other things

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to reconstruct what the landscape
looks like, as if we were going to Venus.

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It worked beautifully, and the support
of the Utah Test and Training Range

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teams from the U.S.

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Army and Air Force was phenomenal,
and this will be the first of several tests

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we do to understand how to get to know
the real Venus up close

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and in 3D, in ways that we will never
be able to do from orbit.