🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1993Jan24.063904.27492@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>, rkornilo@nyx.cs.du.edu (Ryan Korniloff) writes...
>Hmmm, well, I guess if we were to make any kind of serious exploration of
>Venus's  surface we would have to develop electronics componants that
>operate comforably at 900f. And metals that can protect the inards of the
>probe from terrential sulfuric acid down-poors..
>How WOULD we do that by the way? Anyone know??

The Soviets have been particularly prolific in sending probes to Venus.
They have successfully landed 8 spacecraft on the surface of Venus, with
each spacecraft lasted at least 53 minutes before succumbing to the
heat and pressure of the Venusian environment.  Venera 13 holds the record
of 127 minutes on the surface.  The Soviets have also
sent two balloons to Venus in 1985 that survived nearly two days in
the upper atmosphere of the planet.  The U.S. have never sent a true lander
to Venus, but two of the Pioneer Venus probes, which impacted on Venus in 1978,
actually survived the impact and continued to trasmit from the surface.  Below
is a table of how long each spacecraft lasted on the surface of Venus.

   1975    Venera 9              53 minutes
   1975    Venera 10             65 minutes
   1978    Pioneer Venus probe   2 seconds
   1978    Pioneer Venus probe   67.5 minutes
   1978    Venera 11             95 minutes
   1978    Venera 12             110 minutes
   1982    Venera 13             127 minutes
   1982    Venera 14             57 minutes
   1985    Vega 1                56 minutes
   1985    Vega 2                57 minutes
     ___    _____     ___
    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
    | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |
 ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   M/S 525-3684 Telos | Every once in a while,
/___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | try pushing your luck.
|_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     |

In article <1993Jan24.063904.27492@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>, rkornilo@nyx.cs.du.edu (Ryan Korniloff) writes:
|> Hmmm, well, I guess if we were to make any kind of serious exploration of
|> Venus's  surface we would have to develop electronics componants that
|> operate comforably at 900f. And metals that can protect the inards of the
|> probe from terrential sulfuric acid down-poors..
|> How WOULD we do that by the way? Anyone know??
|> 
	Remove the atmosphere of course... That might be quite a chore
	tho, kind of an anti-greenhouse effect device. A monster vacuum
	like in SpaceBall's maybe? B^).

		-Rob

2.In article <C1FLq4.GtM@gw.digibd.com>, rhealey@rogue.digibd.com (Rob Healey) writes:
> In article <1993Jan24.063904.27492@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>, rkornilo@nyx.cs.du.edu (Ryan Korniloff) writes:
> |> Hmmm, well, I guess if we were to make any kind of serious exploration of
> |> Venus's  surface we would have to develop electronics componants that
> |> operate comforably at 900f. And metals that can protect the inards of the
> |> probe from terrential sulfuric acid down-poors..
> |> How WOULD we do that by the way? Anyone know??
> |> 
> 	Remove the atmosphere of course... That might be quite a chore
> 	tho, kind of an anti-greenhouse effect device. A monster vacuum
> 	like in SpaceBall's maybe? B^).
> 
> 		-Rob


HEARD USING certain microbs which convert many of the components of venuses
atmophere can be used to terraform it.. (sorry for the CAPS) not using my

MICHAEL ADAMS
NSMCA@ACAD3.ALASKA.EDU

normal macine..

8

In article <1993Jan24.063904.27492@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>, rkornilo@nyx.cs.du.edu (Ryan Korniloff) writes:
> Hmmm, well, I guess if we were to make any kind of serious exploration of
> Venus's  surface we would have to develop electronics componants that
> operate comforably at 900f. And metals that can protect the inards of the
> probe from terrential sulfuric acid down-poors..
> How WOULD we do that by the way? Anyone know??
 
Someone should point out to Ryan that it's been done, repeatedly. 
From the FAQ (thanks to the invaluable Larry Klaes):

SOVIET VENUS PROBES

    VENERA 3 - Attempt to place a lander capsule on Venusian surface.
	       Transmissions ceased just before encounter and entire probe
	       became the first craft to impact on another planet in 1966.
    VENERA 4 - First probe to successfully return data while descending
	       through Venusian atmosphere. Crushed by air pressure before
	       reaching surface in 1967. VENERA 5 and 6 mission profiles
	       similar in 1969.
    VENERA 7 - First probe to return data from the surface of another planet
	       in 1970. VENERA 8 accomplished a more detailed mission in
	       1972.
    VENERA 9 - Sent first image of Venusian surface in 1975. Was also the
	       first probe to orbit Venus. VENERA 10 accomplished similar
	       mission.
    VENERA 13 - Returned first color images of Venusian surface in 1982.
		VENERA 14 accomplished similar mission.
    VENERA 15 - Accomplished radar mapping with VENERA 16 of sections of
		planet's surface in 1983 more detailed than PVO.
    VEGA 1 - Accomplished with VEGA 2 first balloon probes of Venusian
	     atmosphere in 1985, including two landers. Flyby buses went on
	     to become first spacecraft to study Comet Halley close-up in
	     March of 1986.

US PLANETARY MISSIONS

    PIONEER Venus 1 (1978) (also known as PIONEER Venus Orbiter, or PIONEER
    12) burned up in the Venusian atmosphere on October 8, 1992. PVO made
    the first radar studies of the planet's surface via probe. PIONEER Venus
    2 (also known as PIONEER 13) sent four small probes into the atmosphere
    in December of 1978. The main spacecraft bus burned up high in the
    atmosphere, while the four probes descended by parachute towards the
    surface. Though none were expected to survive to the surface, the Day
    probe did make it and transmitted for 67.5 minutes on the ground before
    its batteries failed.

=========

Mind you, it's not *easy* to keep equipment working on the surface of
Venus, and all these gadgets failed after a short time (like hours). 
But they were successful in learning a lot about conditions there.  In
particular, I believe the Soviets designed their landers with good
insulation and tried to keep them cool for as long as possible.  I
don't think sulfuric acid is a real problem with proper choice of
materials. 

Kepler: "Did you know that Tycho,  | Bill Higgins, Beam Jockey
my boss, had an artificial nose?"  | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory  
Galileo: "An artificial nose!      | Bitnet:           HIGGINS@FNAL.BITNET  
How did he smell?"                 | Internet:       HIGGINS@FNAL.FNAL.GOV  
Kepler: "Terrible!"                | SPAN/Hepnet:           43011::HIGGINS  

In article <1993Jan24.063904.27492@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>, rkornilo@nyx.cs.du.edu (Ryan Korniloff) writes:
> Hmmm, well, I guess if we were to make any kind of serious exploration of
> Venus's  surface we would have to develop electronics componants that
> operate comforably at 900f. And metals that can protect the inards of the
> probe from terrential sulfuric acid down-poors..
> How WOULD we do that by the way? Anyone know??

The main constraint on the spacecraft's survival on the surface of Venus has 
been the temperature.  The Soviets often chilled the interior of their 
spacecraft before parachuting them down to the surface. 900F is about
2 to 3 times the temperature of your conventional oven.  Lead melts at
that temperature.  As a comparison, the Viking landers were sterilized by 
heating them to 235F for 24 hours.  Anything on the surface of Venus is 
literally being roasted.  
     ___    _____     ___
    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
    | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |
 ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   M/S 525-3684 Telos | Every once in a while,
/___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | try pushing your luck.
|_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     |