00:00Venus. It's not exactly a cakewalk in the realm of space exploration. Crushing atmospheric
00:10pressures, lead-melting temperatures, and highly corrosive gases make an extended stay
00:15all but impossible. Past visits to the second rock from the Sun, such as the Soviet Venira
00:21missions, lasted only two hours. A new battery developed by NASA may allow a lander to operate
00:27in the harsh temperatures for an entire Venus solar day. In other words, around 120 Earth
00:33days, Universe Today reports.
00:36Whereas Mars landers are solar-powered, batteries seem to be the ticket on Venus due to its thick
00:42atmosphere. Thermal batteries could actually leverage the planet's atmospheric conditions
00:46and continue to work without the need for pyrotechnics or thermal insulation. The technology, based
00:52on short-lived thermal battery systems used for powering smart missiles, is part of NASA's
00:57project to develop a small Venus lander named the Long-Lived Institute Solar System Explorer,
01:04and could give us a new lease on space exploration throughout the solar system.
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