Saying that the aerofoil ofVenusis inhospitable is an understatement . The pressure level is twice what you ’d get at the bottom of lake superior , the temperature is high enough to melt lead , and the air is a intermixture of acid . But above thishellscape , there are cloud that are a bit more exonerative to robotic probes we might send . An aerobot that might do that one day just sail through its test flight of steps .
The concept for the mission is to have the robotic balloon work with an orbiter high above the planet . The aerobot will be 12 meters ( 40 feet ) across and go across the clouds . A one - third scaled interpretation has been tested 1 kilometer ( 4,000 feet ) over Nevada ’s Black Rock Desert . It fell twice in conditions similar to what it might encounter 55 kilometers ( 180,000 feet ) above theclouds of Venus .
“ We ’re passing felicitous with the performance of the paradigm . It was plunge , demonstrated controlled - ALT maneuvers , and was recuperate in good condition after both flights , ” robotics applied scientist Jacob Izraelevitz , who leads the balloon development at NASA ’s Jet propulsion Laboratory ( JPL ) as master researcher of the flight of steps tests , said in astatement .
“ We ’ve recorded a mountain of data from these flight and are looking forward to using it to better our simulation models before search our sister planet . ”
The Soviets sent two balloons to Venus in 1985 on the Vega 1 and Vega 2 deputation . They lasted somewhat less than two days . The aerobot would ideally last at least 50 times more . It would study vibrations in the atmosphere forpossible venusquakesas well as study its chemical composition , maybe leave a determinate answer tothe phosphine questionof life on Venus .
“ The achiever of these test flights is a vast deal for us : We ’ve successfully demonstrate the technology we ’ll need for enquire the clouds of Venus , ” explainedPaul Byrne , an associate professor at Washington University and aerobot skill collaborator . “ These tests work the foundation for how we can achieve long - term automatonlike exploration high above Venus ’ beastly airfoil . ”
The aerobot is a balloon within a balloon . The interior one is stiff and has He under press . The knocked out one is whippy and can expand and press depending on the amount of atomic number 2 pump between the two or back into the inner one . This would set aside maneuvering the mission between 52 and 62 kilometers of altitude ( about 171,000 and 203,000 feet ) .
The material used is also authoritative . While the situation in Venus ’s clouds is not as bad as the aerofoil , it is still exposed to a peck of sunlight and corrosive elements . The prototype is made of innovative fabric that can do under such conditions . The mission has not been O.K. but with such a technical display , this might change soon .
The aerobot prototype was designed by scientists and engineers from NASA ’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Near Space Corporation in Tillamook , Oregon .
