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- Fuglesang, Christer, 1957-, et al.
(författare)
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Venus long-life surface package (VL2SP)
- 2017
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC. - : International Astronautical Federation, IAF. - 9781510855373 ; , s. 3035-3043
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Measurements in the atmosphere and at the surface of Venus are required to understand fundamental processes of how terrestrial planets evolve and how they work today. While the European Venus community is unified in its support of the EnVision orbiter proposal as the next step in European Venus exploration, many scientific questions also require in situ Venus exploration. We suggest a long-duration lander at Venus, which would be capable of undertaking a seismometry mission, operating in the 460°C surface conditions of Venus. Radar maps have shown Venus to be covered with volcanic and tectonic features, and mounting evidence, including observations from Venus Express, suggests that some of these volcanoes are active today. Assessing Venus' current seismicity, and measuring its interior structure, is essential if we are to establish the geological history of our twin planet, for example to establish whether it ever had a habitable phase with liquid water oceans. Although some constraints on seismic activity can be obtained from orbit, using radar or ionospheric observation, the most productive way to study planetary interiors is through seismometry. Seismometry requires a mission duration of months or (preferably) years. Previous landers have used passive cooling, relying on thermal insulation and the lander's thermal inertia to provide a brief window of time in which to conduct science operations - but this allows mission durations of hours, not months. Proposals relying on silicon electronics require an electronics enclosure cooled to < 200 °C; the insulation, cooling and power system requirements escalate rapidly to require a > 1 ton, > €1bn class mission, such as those studied in the context of NASA flagship missions. However, there are alternatives to silicon electronics: in particular, there have been promising advances in silicon carbide (SiC) electronics capable of operating at temperatures of 500°C. Within the coming decade it will be possible to assemble at least simple circuits using SiC components, sufficient to run a seismometry lander. We are proposing a Venus Long-Lived Surface Package (VL2SP) consisting of power source (RTG), science payload (seismometer and meteorology sensors), and ambient temperature electronics including a telecommunications system weighing < 100 kg. We do not specify how this VL2SP gets to the surface of Venus, but we estimate that an orbiter providing data relay would be essential. This presentation is based on a response sumitted to ESA's Call for New Scientific Ideas in September 2016.
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| 2. |
- Fuglesang, Christer, 1957-, et al.
(författare)
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Working on venus and beyond - SiC electronics for extreme environments
- 2017
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC. - : International Astronautical Federation, IAF. - 9781510855373 ; , s. 10393-10398
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Venus is our closest planet, but we know much less about it than about Mars. The main reason for this is the extreme conditions, with a dense atmosphere of mainly CO2 at 92 bar atmosphere and 460 °C temperature at the surface. Only six spacecraft have succeeded to land on Venus and transmit data back to Earth; however none survived for long due to the high temperature. Venera-13 has the record, with 127 minutes at the surface of Venus in 1982. There are many compelling reasons to learn more about the sister planet of Earth, which requires measurements over months rather than minutes on the surface of Venus. Perhaps the single-most challenging task for long-term data taking on the surface of Venus is to build electronics that can operate at temperatures up to 500 °C without cooling. It seems that such technology must be based on wide bandgap semiconductors, such as GaN, SiC or diamond. At KTH, research with SiC devices and integrated circuits has been done for more than 20 years, demonstrating high voltage devices and digital integrated circuit operation at 600 °C. In 2014 the project Working On Venus launched, with funding from Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. The goal is to demonstrate all the electronics for a complete working lander, with all electronics from sensors through amplifiers and analog-to-digital converters to microcontroller with memory and radio, including power supply. The particular sensors the project has in mind are seismic, gas and image sensors. So far, a 200 device level integration has been demonstrated at 500 °C and a 5000+ device level 4 bit microcontroller is being fabricated in an in-house bipolar technology. As for all devices for space, radiation is another concern. SiC integrated circuits have survived exposure to 3 MeV protons with fluences of 1013 cm-2 and gamma rays with doses of 332 Mrad. The dedicated project SUPERHARD IC will study manufacture methods for radiation hardened instrument components that could go beyond Venus, for example for Jovian system exploration. Members of Working on Venus are discussing with scientists seeking opportunities for a Venus Long-Life Surface Package (lander). In 2016 a response was submitted to ESA's Call for New Scientific Ideas.
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