Pumped-Helium Aerobots for Venus: Technology Progress and Mission Concepts

The clouds of Venus offer a unique environment: ample sunlight, Earth-like temperatures and pressures, and strong zonal winds that can carry an in situ aerial platform around the planet in just a few Earth days. Concepts for Venus buoyant aerobots have traditionally focused on superpressure balloons, such as the successful Vega flights in 1985, which nominally have a relatively fixed buoyancy and provide access to only a single altitude. However, controllable variable-buoyancy balloons have distinct advantages in science return by providing access to a large range of altitudes over the course of the flight under automatic control or the commands of mission operators on Earth. One example technique for altitude control consists of a hybrid system using two balloons, one within the other, between which helium gas is pumped to modulate the net buoyancy and effect altitude changes. A gondola below houses the control system along with the science instrumentation, avionics, communication, and solar power systems.

This presentation summarizes the developments at JPL over the last two years to mature long-duration variable-altitude Venus aerobot technology that can support multiple aerobot mission concepts. We will describe tradeoffs in balloon material selection, delivery mass, power, and altitude stability. Secondly, we will also describe material coupon testing and a subscale balloon prototype developed in partnership with Near Space Corporation. Finally, we will present two detailed point designs for Venus, one targeting a 200kg payload gondola that was created for the Venus Flagship Mission Study submitted to the 2023-2033 Planetary Science Decadal Study, and another one targeting a smaller 100kg payload that is more suited to smaller than flagship class missions.

Pre-Decisional Information - For Planning and Discussion Purposes Only. The research described in this abstract was funded by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.