PARAGON SPACE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: S3

Description

NASA desires 40 to 60+ altitude control range for a Venus aerobotmdash;with the 40km altitude presenting a significant hurdle for vehicle design due to high (145deg;C) atmospheric temperature. The Paragon-proposed innovation couples their teamrsquo;s current advancements in robust, extreme temperature flexible/impermeable barrier envelopes with the latest Mechanical Compression Altitude Control Balloon (MC-ACB) technology. MC-ACBrsquo;s unique planar fabrication protocol is highly conducive to incorporation of the aforementioned extreme temperature structural and gas barrier constituents. MC-ACB is a robust, continuously super-pressurized, rapid altitude control aerobot. Ascent and descent are initiated and maintained by modulation of the balloonrsquo;s lifting gas density through motorized mechanical compression. As the aerobot ascends and descends in accordance with its programmed trajectory, the balloonrsquo;s accordion-like segmented envelope leaves the lifting gas volume free to adapt to the variation in atmospheric density associated with the varying altitude. The number of balloon segments can be adapted to the desired altitude range: A larger number of segments presents a greater ratio of distended to compressed volume, which in turn provides controlled access to the great range of trajectory altitudes sought by NASA.