Atmospheric density at the surface of Venus is about 65 kg/m³ or 6.5% the density of liquid water. This high density allows an airship to explore the surface of Venus. However, the airship should withstand 464 °C temperature and 92 bar of air pressure while sailing close to the surface of the planet. I propose a spherical airship made of borosilicate glass filled with helium. Borosilicate has high compression strength and high melting point and is lighter than Aluminum. Thin spherical shell will also be strengthened with carbon nanotube fibers. As a result, the airship will be a transparent hard-shell balloon.
Venus Airship will be launched by a classical two stage rocket. The second stage of the rocket will reach the escape velocity to allow its cargo to reach Venus. Even current LEO optimized rockets will be able accomplish this mission due to the low weight of the airship. When the fuel of the second stage is consumed, helium inside the empty propellent tanks will be pumped into a high-pressure gas canister attached to the airship. This additional gas will be released inside the airship as it descents to the surface of Venus to balance the outside pressure. As a result, the spherical structure will never experience high pressure difference. Allowing it to be thin and lightweight.
The lightweight of the airship will allow it to utilize the solar sail during its journey to Venus. The solar sail will be initially used to accelerate then to decelerate the airship. The solar sail will be composed of two parts. The smaller first part will double as a solar sail and a parachute; the second part will be a light weight solar sail. Once the airship enters the atmosphere of the planet, the second part will be destroyed and the first part will slow down the lightweight airship till it starts floating on the dense Venus atmosphere. Then, the parachute will be discarded.
The airship will have four small wind turbines attached close to the surface of the sphere. The strong Venus winds will be utilized to generate electricity all year long unlike solar panels. The turbines will utilize Alnico magnets that keep their magnetism even at high temperatures. The airship will mainly sail following the wind. However, partially electrifying the selected wind turbines will generate air drag which will be used to direct the airship in four main directions.
The transparent shell will allow the sensitive devices such as cameras and sensors to be mounted internally, shielded from the outside environment. The inside bottom of the shell will be covered with a conductive material to serve as a communication satellite dish.
Detailed closeup analysis of very large areas on Venus cannot be achieved on the Moon or the Mars. That is one of the reasons I insist on Venus exploration.
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