Exploring the Habitability of Venus: Conceptual Design of a Small Atmospheric Probe

The possible presence of life in the atmosphere of Venus has been debated frequently over the last 60 years. The discussion was recently reignited by the possible detection of phosphine (PH3), but several other chemicals potentially relevant for life processes are also found in the middle atmosphere. Moreover, the reasons for the heterogeneous ultraviolet (UV) absorption between 320 and 400 nm in the altitude range ∼40–70 km are still not well understood. These aspects could be further studied in-situ by UV Raman and fluorescence instruments. Here, the conceptual design of a small balloon probe (<20 kg) is presented, including a science payload comprising a UV laser, spectrometer, and a telescope. The goal of the proposed mission is to analyse the absorption of UV light in Venus’ atmosphere, to study the atmospheric composition, and to verify the possible presence of biomarkers. Current state-of-the-art technologies would allow a more cost-efficient and easy to develop mission, as compared to previous Venus probes. This article is focused on the scientific instrumentation, as well as on the mass and power budgets required to realise the proposed mission.

A Biological Sensor for Detecting Foreign Bodies Using a Balloon Probe

For effective medical treatment, sensors that can find foreign bodies such as tumors in early stage are required. This paper describes a new sensor for foreign body detection utilizing the fact that the property hardness of foreign bodies differs from that of normal tissues. It consists of a balloon probe, which is constructed with a thin rubber membrane inflated with compressed air, and an optical deformation analyzing system. Experiments are carried out using samples in which single hard balls are embedded to model single tumor in soft tissue. It was confirmed that this sensor can detect the existence of the hard ball and can also distinguish the inequality of size and hardness of the ball. Furthermore, experimental results detecting multi-objects showed that this sensor has the ability to detect the existence of multi objects and their relative positions simultaneously. By measuring the consistence of the arm and the abdomen of human body, it is proved that the sensor is also suitable for consistence measurement of human anatomy.