Calay News
NASA has announced its collaboration with the US company Advanced Thermal Batteries (ATB) to develop a new thermal battery system that can operate longer in the extreme environmental conditions of Venus. The planet’s atmosphere is highly corrosive due to its sulfuric acid composition, which can affect the materials used in spacecraft and their components, such as batteries. Scientists face a major challenge in finding materials and engineering approaches to prolong the operation of components on Venus exploration missions.
To address this situation, NASA and ATB created the first battery with the ability to operate at high temperatures for one Venusian solar day, equivalent to 120 Earth days. The battery is composed of 17 individual cells and is made of unique chemical and structural materials. It is expected to be part of the Long Duration In Situ Solar System Explorer (LLISSE), NASA’s next module to land on the surface of Venus.
LLISSE, which will weigh about 10 kilograms, will collect data from sensors to measure radiation, temperature, pressure, and the abundance of atmospheric chemical constituents, which will be transmitted to an orbiter. The goal is for it to remain on Venus for 60 Venusian days. ATB reported that it will demonstrate a complete prototype of its new thermal battery system within the next 18 months.
This new thermal battery system is crucial for Venus exploration, as component lifetime is one of the biggest hurdles for exploration missions. With the ability to operate at high temperatures for an extended period, the battery could allow missions to last longer and collect more data. The collaboration between NASA and ATB is a major step toward developing innovative technology for space exploration in the most extreme conditions.
