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.

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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