Radioisotope Power Hits a Grand Slam Against Venus' Harsh Hurdles

An atmospheric probe and surface rover mission to Venus would help us learn about greenhouse gases and how the planet's atmosphere became mostly carbon dioxide. Radioisotope-powered systems are ideal with Venus’ thick cloud cover. In the past, we didn't have the technology to handle such harsh heat, winds, and sulfuric rain. But now we have tools like supersonic parachutes, improved heat shields, and heat-resistant materials to survive for a longer mission. We can make new tools that can handle high pressure and heat to protect our spacecrafts and detect past life. These technologies could be useful for other space missions or even daily life. When I play baseball, I pay attention to the pitcher's windup and follow-through, and the ball’s velocity and spin to predict where the ball is going and determine the speed of my swing. Similarly, we need to pay attention to all the hurdles during our Venus mission and come up on a with efficient solutions. I hope that by studying how Venus changed from a planet that might have been similar to Earth to what it is now, we can find ways to stop global warming, keeping our kids and grandkids safe in the future.