IPB

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

Venus 73 - A lost opportunity?
gndonald
post Aug 14 2007, 02:57 PM
Post #1


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 212
Joined: 19-July 05
Member No.: 442



I've been browsing through the NTRS and I've stumbled upon a series of reports dealing with an alternative mission plan for the 72/73 Venus launch window (The one used for Mariner 10).

The plan was this:

A modified version of the Mariner 9 probe carrying a 400lb balloon supported atmospheric probe would be launched atop an Atlas-Centaur or Titan IIIc. Upon arrival at Venus the atmosphere probe would be released and the remainder of the craft would either go into orbit or flyby Venus. The RTG powered balloon probe would operate for several months in the upper levels of the Venusian atmosphere.

While I know that Mariner 10 was a great success (albeit with a lot of luck) and the first pictures of Mercury were well worth the effort, I cannot shake the feeling that this plan was a lost opportunity. While the Venusian atmosphere has been studied from orbit and by short term drop probes, only the Soviet Vega probes attempted to carry out 'long term' studies from within the upper atmosphere, though this was limited by the flyby nature of the mission and the fact that the balloon probes were battery powered.

In fact I feel that a good case could be made for such a mission to be attempted in the future, the science payoff would be well worth it.

See:

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntr..._1969006258.pdf

for the 23mb summary report.

This post has been edited by gndonald: Aug 15 2007, 12:53 AM
Attached thumbnail(s)
Attached Image
Attached Image
 
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post

Posts in this topic


Reply to this topicStart new topic

 



RSS Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 29th March 2024 - 09:52 AM
RULES AND GUIDELINES
Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting.

IMAGE COPYRIGHT
Images posted on UnmannedSpaceflight.com may be copyrighted. Do not reproduce without permission. Read here for further information on space images and copyright.

OPINIONS AND MODERATION
Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators.
SUPPORT THE FORUM
Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member.