Venus is a hellscape where space landers go to die. But a new battery could change all that.
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00:00Venus. It's not exactly a cakewalk in the realm of space exploration.
00:09Crushing atmospheric pressures, lead-melting temperatures, and highly corrosive gases make an extended stay all but impossible.
00:17Past visits to the second rock from the Sun, such as the Soviet Venira missions, lasted only two hours.
00:23A new battery developed by NASA may allow a lander to operate in the harsh temperatures for an entire Venus solar day.
00:31In other words, around 120 Earth days, Universe Today reports.
00:36Whereas Mars landers are solar-powered, batteries seem to be the ticket on Venus due to its thick atmosphere.
00:43Thermal batteries could actually leverage the planet's atmospheric conditions and continue to work without the need for pyrotechnics or thermal insulation.
00:51The technology, based on short-lived thermal battery systems used for powering smart missiles, is part of NASA's project to develop a small Venus lander named the Long-Lived Institute Solar System Explorer,
01:04and could give us a new lease on space exploration throughout the solar system.