Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Prototype Venus Balloon

Prototype Venus Balloon
Prototype Venus Balloon Scientists hope to use a balloon such as this one, 9 meters in diameter, to study the atmosphere of Venus from below its clouds. A helium-filled Teflon balloon could stay high enough above the ground (at an altitude of about 56 kilometers) to avoid cooking at Venus' high surface temperatures, and would be resistant to corrosion from the sulfuric acid in Venus' clouds. NASA / JPL