DAVINCI probe model survives six furnace runs at Venus surface temperature

An engineering model of the descent probe for NASA's DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) mission has passed a key test, run from Aug. 28 to Sept. 10, showing it can survive the extreme temperatures of Venus.

The DAVINCI team took the model to a furnace at Rex Heat Treat in Bedford, Pennsylvania, one of the few facilities able to heat to Venus-like temperatures as quickly as the probe will experience. The vessel, about the size of a yoga ball, was slid into a ceramic-lined chamber and the temperature was raised to 869 degrees Fahrenheit (465 degrees Celsius) over about an hour, the same pace at which the probe will heat up during its descent to the surface of Venus.

The thermal cycle was then repeated five more times. The engineering model came through every cycle undamaged, demonstrating that the probe can withstand extreme temperatures and protect its delicate science instruments while traveling through the atmosphere of Venus. Hardware simulating the instruments was monitored throughout by more than 100 thermal sensors.

Jim Garvin, the DAVINCI principal investigator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said the experiment was a success, with six runs to Venus surface temperature on the mission's descent timeline of 55 to 60 minutes with full internal instrumentation. He said there has not been such a complete assessment of spacecraft-scale hardware at Venus temperatures in the United States since the mid-1970s.

The DAVINCI spacecraft is being developed to travel to Venus to investigate numerous unsolved questions, including whether the planet once had oceans and was habitable, like Earth. The spacecraft will release a probe that must withstand intense heat for nearly an hour as it descends through the toxic atmosphere, collecting data on the way down.

Kristen Brown, the DAVINCI probe manager at NASA Goddard, said the harshness of the Venus environment makes this a huge engineering challenge. She said the team had to create a system that protects the instruments from the planet's heat while letting in its high-temperature gases for study through special inlet ports.

Encased in a corrosion-resistant titanium shell that is strong yet lightweight, the probe will carry a suite of instruments to sample the gases of the Venusian atmosphere, determine what molecules they contain and learn about the structure of the atmosphere. It will also carry cameras that will take the highest-resolution images yet of the surface of Venus, which scientists will use to make a 3D map, and a radio system to send data to the spacecraft flying 5,600 miles (9,000 kilometers) overhead.

The heat testing follows a campaign earlier this summer to demonstrate the probe's imaging system. The mission is now working toward approval to move into the final design and fabrication phase. Garvin said the team has met both of its major mission milestones this year on an accelerated timeline.

Showing that the probe can cope with Venusian heat brings scientists a step closer to learning why the planet often called Earth's twin turned out so different.

CONTACT: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/davinci