To learn about Venus, you could use a fleet of balloons to explore its atmosphere.

Key Highlights :

1. A balloon mission to Venus has been proposed, and it is 63% better at achieving close-up observations of active or recently active volcanoes than a mission without humans "in the loop".

2. The balloon mission is designed to use a meshed network of balloons and an orbiting satellite to detect and travel toward active volcanic events.

3. The balloons are able to detect wind currents outside their immediate area, making it difficult, if not impossible, to plan a path toward the volcano.

4. However, the balloons are able to relay information to other balloons in the network, which may have a better chance of getting there due to their own local wind patterns.

5. The balloons are able to detect pressure differentials in the atmosphere caused by volcanic blasts, which can be used to detect an eruption.

6. The balloons are able to ride the winds to the volcano, and humans can still be helpful by providing information about wind conditions.

A team of researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has proposed a balloon mission to Venus that would use a meshed network of balloons and an orbiting satellite to detect and travel toward active volcanic events and collect as much data as possible from them.

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