Study Finds 7 Venus Probes May Survive 467C Surface as Missions Eye 2030 Return

5 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · May 12

At least seven of the 15 spacecraft that reached Venus between 1965 and 1985 may still remain on the surface, according to a Geoarchaeology study by space archaeologists.
Tests at NASA’s Glenn Extreme Environments Rig found titanium and aluminum components could resist Venus’s 467C heat and 93-times-Earth pressure far longer than previously assumed.
A case study of NASA’s 1978 Pioneer Venus Day Probe suggests it likely kept much of its shape after impact; the craft transmitted from the surface for 67 minutes and 37 seconds before failing.
Researchers said Venus’s slow geological activity and long-term climate stability could preserve such artifacts despite sulfuric-acid clouds and a corrosive atmosphere that would deform some parts.
The findings recast old landers as potential space-heritage relics and could guide future Venus missions, including NASA’s DAVINCI and VERITAS, tentatively set for 2030 and 2031 launches.

Do these surviving relics hold the secrets to building future landers that can conquer the hellscape of Venus?

If Cold War probes are now priceless artifacts on Venus, who decides how to protect them from future missions?

With NASA's science budget facing historic cuts, will the hunt for lost Cold War-era probes on Venus be cancelled?