High Altitude Venus Operational Concept (HAVOC)
The upper atmosphere of Venus, with similar pressure, density, gravity, and radiation protection to that of the surface of the earth, is relatively benign at 50 km. A lighter-than-air vehicle could carry either a host of instruments and probes, or a habitat and ascent vehicle for a crew of two astronauts to explore Venus for up to a month. Such a mission would require less time to complete than a crewed Mars mission.
A recent internal NASA study of a High Altitude Venus Operational Concept (HAVOC) led to the development of an evolutionary program for the exploration of Venus, with focus on the mission architecture and vehicle concept for a 30 day crewed mission into Venus's atmosphere.
Key technical challenges for the mission include performing the aerocapture maneuvers at Venus and Earth, inserting and inflating the airship at Venus, and protecting the solar panels and structure from the sulfuric acid in the atmosphere. With advances in technology and further refinement of the concept, missions to the Venusian atmosphere can expand humanity's future in space.
What is needed?
The first proof of concept identified candidate materials and evaluated them, finding FEP-Teflon (Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene-Teflon) to maintain 90 percent transmittance to relevant spectra even after 30 days of immersion in concentrated sulfuric acid. The second proof of concept developed and verified a packaging algorithm for the airship envelope to inform the entry, descent, and inflation analysis.
Also at The Conversation.
Previously: Cloud Cities on Venus?
Related Stories
IEEE Spectrum has an article on the NASA High Altitude Venus Operational Concept (HAVOC) mission proposals.
Quoting Chris Jones, from the Space Mission Analysis Branch of NASA’s Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate:
“The vast majority of people, when they hear the idea of going to Venus and exploring, think of the surface, where it’s hot enough to melt lead and the pressure is the same as if you were almost a mile underneath the ocean,” Jones says. “I think that not many people have gone and looked at the relatively much more hospitable atmosphere and how you might tackle operating there for a while.”
...
Put all of these numbers together and as long as you don’t worry about having something under your feet, Jones points out, the upper atmosphere of Venus is “probably the most Earth-like environment that’s out there.”
The article covers the details of the proposed mission, and links to a YouTube animation of the concept: "A way to explore Venus".
Also covered at Geek.com and Extreme Tech.
NASA mulls possible mission to Venus after recent discovery of possible life:
NASA is considering approving by next April up to two planetary science missions from four proposals under review, including one to Venus that scientists involved in the project said could help determine whether or not that planet harbors life.
An international research team on Monday described evidence of potential microbes residing in the harshly acidic Venusian clouds: traces of phosphine, a gas that on Earth is produced by bacteria inhabiting oxygen-free environments. It provided strong potential evidence of life beyond Earth.
The U.S. space agency in February shortlisted four proposed missions that are now being reviewed by a NASA panel, two of which would involve robotic probes to Venus. One of those, called DAVINCI+, would send a probe into the Venusian atmosphere.
[...] The search for life elsewhere in the solar system has until now not focused on Venus. In fact, NASA in July launched a next-generation rover to look for traces of potential past life on Mars.
Previously:
Life on Venus? Unexplained Discovery in the Clouds Has Scientists Buzzing
Venus May Have Dozens of Active Volcanoes
NASA Thinks It's Time to Return to Neptune with its Trident Mission
NASA Wants to Send a Probe to Venus That Can Last 60 Days
New Theory Proposes Large Ocean Killed Venus
NASA Concept for a Crewed Airship Mission in Venus's Upper Atmosphere
The Case for Microbial Life in the Atmosphere of Venus
(Score: 3, Informative) by legont on Friday October 19 2018, @12:22AM (1 child)
They abandoned the idea for many difficulties such as thunderstorms (more than a 1000 lightings were registered during Venus 12 landing) and very high winds that were especially strong at 50-60 kilometers.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday October 19 2018, @03:23PM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TMK [wikipedia.org]
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by requerdanos on Friday October 19 2018, @12:35AM (2 children)
I flew over France and Italy on the way from London to Cairo once, but didn't land in either country.
Just to confirm, this is what they plan with Venus?
(Score: 4, Funny) by c0lo on Friday October 19 2018, @02:06AM
I really doubt that London to Cairo via Venus can be arranged on such a short notice, but... maybe on the return trip?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 19 2018, @02:56AM
Yes, but I'll bet you didn't do it in a dirigible!
The great steam age shall arise on Venus!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 19 2018, @05:31AM (5 children)
Other than to say they did it?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 19 2018, @05:44AM
Seasteading. But on Venus.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 19 2018, @06:53AM (1 child)
Purpose to what? If you think a few landers and orbiters have exhausted all possible scientific inquiry regarding Venus's atmosphere or surface, I'm quite sure you're wrong.
If you mean the crewed aspect, then yeah, "to say we did it" pretty much sums it up. Unlike geological studies (e.g. on Mars), where a man with a hammer can accomplish more work faster than a rover controlled from Earth could hope to, there's probably little scientific benefit from having a shortened reaction loop (e.g; man in orbit), and even less from man-in-atmosphere.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 19 2018, @06:00PM
Yes, I mean the crewed part.
As far as the person with a hammer goes, if you send up 50 or 60 rovers for the same price as one person, I'm sure the scientific throughput would be much higher than 4 people, even with a 40 minute delay time.
You could have a dozen people back on Earth studying live high res video feeds as a rover moved along recording in 360degrees. Put the live video feed on the internet and you could get thousands of people viewing a steam simultaneously. Odd are maybe one would pick up on something that even a trained geologist might miss. And this could go on 24 hours/day.
Even on Earth, robots can outperform humans in the amount of data they can collect due to their ability to operate nonstop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieXCZdCuVgM [youtube.com]
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 19 2018, @02:31PM
Gravity, pressure and temperature all like Earth. That means astronauts could walk around without a spacesuit, probably just need additional oxygen from a loose fitting mask. In some ways that's more hospitable than Antarctica.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 19 2018, @02:45PM
To say we landed, er, aired? on Venus obviously.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Friday October 19 2018, @04:05PM (1 child)
Risking a crewed flight in conditions like that seems reckless. I assume, they would plan on unmanned launches, before jumping in with both feet?
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday October 19 2018, @11:31PM
Like the Mars one-way trip, you'd still get lots of volunteers.
Main difference is that the Mars ones would leave bodies and trash on the planet for others to contemplate, while Venus is really good at cleaning up.