Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Taking the high road, aerial platforms could open up a new era of Venus exploration according to a new study.
Credit: Tibor Balint/JPL

Hellish and cloud-enveloped Venus is a world ready and waiting for renewed exploration.

A new Jet Propulsion Laboratory study released last month argues that the time is ripe to investigate Venus by high-tech aerial platforms.

These platforms can extensively probe the Venus atmosphere, its circulation, and also determine the chemical nature of the planet’s gaseous atmosphere and its clouds.

Google’s Loon program, an Earth network of long-lived balloons, is showcasing how similar technology might be applied to the next round of Venus investigation.
Credit: Loon LLC

Surprisingly, the back to Venus campaign has benefited by Google’s Loon program, an Earth network of long-lived balloons designed to deliver connectivity to people in Internet-deprived communities.

As seen in the ultraviolet, Venus image taken by NASA’s Pioneer-Venus Orbiter in 1979.
Credit: NASA

Take a look at my new Scientific American story:

Will NASA’s Next Mission to Venus Be a Balloon?

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/will-nasas-next-mission-to-venus-be-a-blimp/