Great breakthrough in exploration of Venus

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mithridates

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I just noticed this bit of news about a circuit developed at NASA capable of working for over 1,700 hours at 500 degree temperatures:<br /><br />http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/33800/118/<br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>According to the organization, the "silicon carbide differential amplifier integrated circuit chip" ran for more than 1700 hours at more than 500 degrees Celsius before showing degradation or failure. However, don't start dreaming about the possibilities of a 20 GHz chip in your next PC: NASA said that the technology isn't likely to make its way into the consumer space.<br /><br />Instead, the "extremely functional but physically small circuitry" could be used in hot sections of automotive or jet engines: The goal is to create safer and more fuel efficient engines. NASA also believes that the chip could provide benefits in industries such as oil and natural gas well drilling as well as for its own space program, especially when explorations to hostile environments, such as the surface of Venus, are planned.<br /><br />"It's really a significant step toward mission-enabling harsh environment electronics," said Phil Neudeck, an electronics engineer and team lead for this work by the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. "This new capability can eliminate the additional plumbing, wires, weight and other performance penalties required to liquid-cool traditional sensors and electronics near the hot combustion chamber, or the need to remotely locate them elsewhere where they aren't as effective."<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />So, does that mean we now have the required technology to send a rover to the surface of Venus? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>----- </p><p>http://mithridates.blogspot.com</p> </div>
 
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askold

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That's a step in the right direction.<br /><br />But there's also the crushing air pressure and corrosive atmosphere.<br /><br />Also, all craft components would have to work in these conditions - not just the chips. I read somewhere that the Russian lander had a camera lens made from diamond!
 
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gunsandrockets

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<So, does that mean we now have the required technology to send a rover to the surface of Venus?><br /><br />I imagine a Venus rover would more resemble a submarine than the Mars rovers we are familiar with.<br /><br />From what I recall the Russian probes to the Venus surface used an expendible cooling agent. I wonder how much longer a Venus probe could function with these new high temp. circuits. I'm guessing the probe lifetime would still be measured in hours instead of days.<br /><br />Nevertheless I agree that this development makes a rover more practical, however short-lived the rover would be. And I think it also bolsters the case for a manned Venus flyby mission to provide telepresence during the short lifetime of a Venus rover.<br /><br />
 
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