Innovative balloon buoyancy techniques for atmospheric exploration

Until quite recently, the only practical means to control balloon buoyancy, and thus altitude, required consuming large amounts of fuel or the limited venting of helium balloons and/or dropping of ballast. Recently at JPL, novel, long-life, balloon buoyancy techniques have been developed that for the first time allow balloons to float in the primarily hydrogen atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune (using ambient fill-gas) and, by using energy sources, allow multiple controlled on Venus (using atmospheric temperature differences), Mars (using solar heat), Titan (using Radioisotope Thermal Generator (RTG) heat), and Earth (using planet radiant heat). A test program has been initiated at JPL to confirm these basic new buoyancy principles. The Earth balloon work will be performed in conjunction with Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to apply these techniques to increase controllability of scientific terrestrial balloons. These novel techniques may enable many exciting, yet economical and practical scientific balloon missions to seven planets and one moon in our own solar system, and, in fact, may eventually be the basis for in situ exploration of planets in other solar systems.