Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Space
  3. News

NASA considers bird-like drones to explore Venus’s atmosphere

By

NASA has announced some of the out-there futuristic mission concepts it plans to study in its NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, including a stunning plan to explore Venus using bird-like drones which would swoop and soar through the thick Venusian atmosphere.

BREEZE | A Revolutionary Ray-inspired Airship Concept for Aerial Venus Exploration

The concept, called Bio-inspired Ray for Extreme Environments and Zonal Exploration or BREEZE, is one of seventeen visionary projects selected for further study under the program. BREEZE has been selected for a Phase II grant, meaning the researchers will receive funding to continue studying the concept for another two years. “NASA’s mission to explore the universe requires new technologies and new ways of doing things,” said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, in a statement. “Studying these creative ideas is the first step to turn science fiction into science fact.”

Graphic depiction of BREEZE- Bioinspired Ray for Extreme Environments and Zonal Exploration.
Graphic depiction of BREEZE- Bioinspired Ray for Extreme Environments and Zonal Exploration Javid Bayandor

The idea for BREEZE is to build drone explorers which use inflatable structures and take inspiration from nature for the form. As wacky as the idea might sound, it actually makes a lot of sense given the conditions on Venus. Venus has thick clouds that obscure views of the surface from orbit, so explorers need to get below the clouds to get a good view of the planet. However, the pressures on the surface are immense, as are the temperatures, so previous probes have only lasted a few minutes on the surface. The thick atmosphere is full of sulfuric acid clouds, so it’s not exactly a friendly environment either, but it could be suitable for a craft that glides along the strong winds there.

Recommended Videos

“BREEZE will navigate the atmosphere at altitudes between 50-60 km, riding zonal winds and overcoming the meridional winds to circumnavigate the planet every 4-6 days,” BREEZE researcher Javid Bayandor explained in a statement. “BREEZE’s scientific payload of a nephelometer, anemometer, magnetometer, a mass spectrometer, THEMIS, synthetic aperture RADAR, and visible light camera will enable controllable selection of dispersed or repeated location sample collection for atmospheric and geographic studies. These studies include tracking weather patterns, determining atmospheric constituents, mapping Venusian magnetic field, and creating detailed surface scans.”

Related

You can see a full list of the concepts being studied for NIAC 2022 on NASA’s website.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Georgina Torbet
Georgina Torbet
Space Writer
Georgina is the Digital Trends space writer, covering human space exploration, planetary science, and cosmology. She…
NASA axes its moon rover project VIPER
NASA’s VIPER – short for the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover – sits assembled inside the cleanroom at the agency’s Johnson Space Center.

NASA’s VIPER -- short for the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover -- sits assembled inside the cleanroom at the agency’s Johnson Space Center. NASA

NASA has announced it is scrapping its plans to send a rover to the moon. The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, project was intended to search the moon's polar regions for water, but will now be shelved due to budget issues. Originally slated to land on the moon in December 2022, the project had been delayed several times, and the most recent update was that it would not be ready until September 2025.

Read more
Venus gets a taste of Missy Elliot in NASA communications test
This illustration of the large Quetzalpetlatl Corona located in Venus’ southern hemisphere depicts active volcanism and a subduction zone, where the foreground crust plunges into the planet’s interior.

This illustration of the large Quetzalpetlatl Corona located in Venus’ southern hemisphere depicts active volcanism and a subduction zone, where the foreground crust plunges into the planet’s interior. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Peter Rubin

In space, they say, no one can hear your scream -- but at certain points in our solar system, you might be able to pick up some Missy Elliot. NASA has recently made special use of its communication system, called the Deep Space Network, by sending the lyrics of Missy Elliot's song The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) to Venus.

Read more
Boeing Starliner astronauts ‘are not stranded’ in orbit, NASA insists
Boeing Space's Starliner docked at the International Space Station in June 2024.

Boeing Space's Starliner docked at the International Space Station in June 2024. NASA

NASA has insisted that its two Starliner astronauts are not stranded in orbit as it continues to investigate issues with the thrusters on the spacecraft. which is currently docked at the International Space Station (ISS).

Read more