Venus’s atmosphere has attracted much interest due to the discovery of phosphine in its clouds, potentially indicating biological sources. The findings have led to proposed missions like sending balloons or spacecraft to collect samples. However, a team led by Jeffrey Balcerski suggested using floating sensor platforms shaped like leaves for data collection throughout Venus’s atmosphere in the 2010s.
The LEAVES (Lofted Environmental and Atmospheric Venus Sensors) project received funding from NASA’s Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) in 2018. The idea involves creating lightweight platforms with a large surface area, attaching sensors to them, releasing the platforms from an orbiting spacecraft, and allowing them to float through Venus’s atmosphere while transmitting atmospheric, chemical, and temperature data back to the spacecraft.
To create such a structure for Venus’s harsh environment, engineers needed to understand flight times and required geolocation. The design resembles an inverted pyramid. Inside, sensors designed for extreme environments are housed. These sensors have undergone development for years and can withstand Venus’s conditions while being lightweight to allow the structure to descend slowly.
The team planned deploying multiple LEAVES throughout Venus’s atmosphere, networked back to the spacecraft depositing them as part of its maneuvers. They also considered integrating LEAVES into other Venus missions like DaVINCI without affecting their success or operational time since they would be destroyed by the lower Venusian atmosphere within hours.
LEAVES could operate between 100 km and 30 km in altitude, providing a more comprehensive understanding of Venus’s atmosphere than other designs that only capture limited data slices. The potential impact of discoveries in Venus’s atmosphere necessitates efficient data acquisition methods. LEAVES have reached Technology Readiness Level 3-4 but require further support for development, which appears to be on hold. With renewed interest in Venus exploration, perhaps it’s time to reconsider the LEAVES concept.
References:
Balcerski et al. – LEAVES: Lofted Environmental and Atmospheric Venus Sensors
UT – There are Mysteries at Venus. It’s Time for an Astrobiology Mission
UT – Scientists Have Re-Analyzed Their Data and Still See a Signal of Phosphine at Venus. Just Less of it
UT – The Clouds of Venus Could Support Life
Images: Artist’s depiction of several LEAVES falling through Venus’s atmosphere by Balcerski et al.
Source: https://www.universetoday.com/167916/floating-leaves-could-characterize-venuss-atmosphere/