College
College of Engineering (COE)
Date of Last Revision
2023-05-03 23:56:02
Major
Mechanical Engineering
Honors Course
Honors Project in Mechanical Engineering
Number of Credits
4
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Spring 2020
Abstract
The objective of this study was to design a solar powered, unmanned aircraft to orbit in the upper Venus atmosphere and search for signs of alien life. Topics of flight conditions, signs of life, basic mission plan, source of power, design process, instrumentation, and final designs are covered. Solar energy is ideal for this type of mission because it is the only reliable and abundant energy source accessible for long term space travel. The target altitude, being 60 to 70 km, has winds of up to 95 m/s. The aircraft will need to remain stable under such conditions. Due to the high winds that the aircraft must overcome, the mission may be limited to 3 days on exclusively solar power. Other methods are explored to prolong the longevity of the mission.
Research Sponsor
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration
First Reader
Dr. D. Dane Quinn
Second Reader
Dr. Scott Sawyer
Honors Faculty Advisor
Dr. Shao Wang
Recommended Citation
Migliozzi, Marc; Everman, Cory; Buerhle, Rebecca; Muhammed, Umar; Abbate, Steven; and Champagne, Chase, "Solar-Powered Exploration of the Venus Atmosphere" (2020). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 1064.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/1064
Included in
Aerospace Engineering Commons, Mechanical Engineering Commons, Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons