Antique Fridge Could Keep Venus Rover Cool

Hugh Pickens writes "In the 1970s and 80s, several probes landed on Venus and returned data from the surface but they all expired less than 2 hours after landing because of Venus' tremendous heat. It's hard to keep a rover functioning when temperatures of 450 C are hot enough to melt lead but NASA researchers have designed a refrigeration system that might be able to keep a robotic rover going for as long as 50 Earth days using a reverse Stirling engine. NASA has not committed to a Venus rover mission, but a 2003 National Academies of Science study recommended that high priority be given to a robot mission to investigate the Venusian surface helping to answer such questions as why Venus ended up so different from Earth and if the changes have taken place relatively recently."

Comments

No problem.

[dozer]

I've got an easier solution. Don't make the robot out of lead.

Re:No problem.

[s20451]

All the evidence I've seen is that tin whiskers are 99% a non-issue panic.

Given that there are at least 100 nuclear reactors in the world, I'm not exactly reassured.

From the Stirling Engine article

[AnonymousCactus]

Yeah, an engine, sure: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:BetaStirlingTG4web.jpg

Re:i've always said

[Anonymous Coward]

So you'd get a planet full of people predisposed to have big appetites, and have them breed.
I'd get pretty scared once they get a taste for Terran ribs and start hunting us for food from their flying saucers.

With apologies to obese people. I suck.
(And I taste bad.)

The real test

[kaoshin]

Yes, but can this device provide adequate cooling for a pair of NVIDIA 8800's in a brutal "room temperature" environment?

Re:i've always said

[jimbojw]

but however you do it, it's an easier starting scenario than mars

That's ridiculous - everyone knows that as soon as Quaid activates the turbidium reactor, Mars' atmosphere will fill out nicely.

Almost a solution

[MobyDisk]

designed a refrigeration system that might be able to keep a robotic rover going for as long as 50 Earth days Unfortunately, the refrigeration system only lasts 10 days. So the refrigeration system will have a refrigeration system which will make it last for 50 days. Unfortunately, that refrigeration system will only last 10 days. So NASA will construct a refrigeration system refrigeration system refrigeration system, which will make the refrigeration system refrigeration system last 50 days. Unfortunately, THAT refrigeration system will only last 10 days...

Welcome!

[Tablizer]

We at Venus welcome your cool beer-carrying roverlords. We're damned thirsty over here.

Re:I know the truth

[MLease]

4. Venusian scientists terraformed Earth

Wouldn't that be veneraformed or something?

Also, you forgot: 7. ??? and 8. Profit!

-Mike