High-Level Project Summary
What we have aimed to do here is to create a space probe which will explore the surface of Venus, helping us draw an accurate map of the topography and general landscape of the planet. The challenge here was of course that Venus is covered by sulfuric clouds, obstructing our view of the planet, so we cannot achieve this goal from Earth. The probe will be able to go below the clouds, and send back valuable data, allowing us to craft an accurate map of the geography of Venus. We hope that this data can be used in the future for the possible colonization of Venus.
Link to Final Project
Link to Project "Demo"
Detailed Project Description
Our project is a helicopter-like rover that is designed to explore the surface of Venus while still being in the air, allowing it to function properly to record and take images of Venus for studies.
Our rover consists of 3 sections, each section having its use and benefits.
The Upper Sector:
This section consists of the main energy system as well as the propellers needed for the rover to travel through the atmosphere of Venus. The main energy system is a hexagonal solar panel that lies atop the rover, it is encased in tempered glass to protect it from dangers on Venus, along with that, there are four tantalum propellers which are used to travel on Venus, in case of partial failure, they are designed to glide across Venus' atmosphere.
The Core:
The core of the rover consists of the main internal parts that allow the rover to function. Inside the core, there is an alternative energy system that makes use of conduction to produce energy in case the main energy system fails, along with that is the main energy storage system that consists of Lithium-Sulfur batteries that will be used for the rover. On the exterior of the core are four legs that allow it to land safely on Venus.
The Lower Sector:
The lower sector only consists of a camera that is used to take pictures and record videos of Venus for humans to be able to study the neighboring planet, the camera is encased with tempered glass that protects the camera from external dangers
Space Agency Data
For this project, our team has mainly used NASA data which was provided through the challenge links, we have also referenced some rover designs as well as energy systems that were provided by NASA.
We specifically use the data in which Lithium-Sulfur Batteries were described to better design our energy storage system for the rover.
We have also used Venus's information from NASA to better understand the challenges we needed to face and how to overcome them.
Hackathon Journey
Our hackathon journey was one ride to remember, our team was introduced to the Space apps challenge through a workshop held in our school, and we decided to try it out because it would be a good team bonding and a good learning experience for us.
In developing this project, we first did extensive research about our challenges through NASA data which was shared through the challenge, then we studied the potential materials that could be used for the project, after that, we made a quick draft that briefly showcased our design, then, we followed up with an updated and clear design that showcased our project.
We would like to thank our school that introduced us to this wonderful learning experience as well as all the people that supported us throughout our journey.
References
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1519/venusresources/page=0&per_page=40&order=created_at+desc&search=&tags=Venus&category=324
https://techport.nasa.gov/view/92914
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/549/energy-storage-technologies-for-future-planetary-science-missions/
https://www.britannica.com/place/Venus-planet/The-atmosphere
https://thermoelectricsolutions.com/how-thermoelectric-generators-work/
https://bmsis.org/history-of-nasa-mars-rovers/