ISRU Aerobot Proposed for Long-Term Venus Exploration
A proposed autonomous aerobot aims for multi-year exploration of Venus by utilizing In-Situ Resource Utilization to convert CO2 into propellant. This innovation allows for extended atmospheric surveying, addressing the limitations of traditional probes that only survive for short durations.
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Researchers have designed an autonomous aerobot to explore Venus' atmosphere for multiple years, leveraging In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) to convert atmospheric CO2 into fuel. This approach mitigates the mass-fraction problem in rocketry, effectively decoupling mission duration from launch mass.
The aerobot employs a hybrid power system that combines solar arrays with a Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator to sustain operations during the night. This design necessitates robust hardware, utilizing Wide-Bandgap semiconductors to withstand high temperatures and corrosive environments.
The proposed system also incorporates edge-computing capabilities for real-time navigation without reliance on Earth-based control. The implications extend beyond Venus, as the technology could facilitate resource harvesting on Mars, reducing dependency on Earth supply chains.
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