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We reported before about a NIAC-funded project known as the Lofted Environment and Atmospheric Venues Sensors (LEAVES) mission to study Venus\u2019 atmosphere. While the technology behind the idea is still under development, it has already inspired a team of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) undergraduates to develop a supporting satellite mission to launch and communicate with the leaves. Their paper, part of their B.S. Thesis, details how to use these new sensors and the challenges ahead.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n As a refresher \u2013 the main unique selling point of LEAVES is that they are inexpensive ways to collect data about Venus\u2019 atmosphere \u2013 at least from the height of about 100km down to 30km, where a lot of interesting atmospheric physics is taking place. They are designed without a propulsion system and, as such, glide down on their own accord, sending back data about the local pressure, temperature, atmospheric composition, and the probe\u2019s orientation via an inertial measurement unit like those used on drones.<\/p>\n They aren\u2019t intended to last long, but the short time they will be present in the atmosphere could provide insights into several outstanding questions about Venus, such as what compound is absorbing near-ultraviolet light in the upper atmosphere or the local carbon monoxide concentration. However, their distribution over the planetary surface is a critical part of any such effort \u2013 which is where the mission design from the team at WPI comes in.<\/p>\n \n