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Technically the Venera probe itself didn't melt. The solder in its electronics did. Higher temperature solder could have been used, but this would not have made
by gene-h 6y ago
Technically the Venera probe itself didn't melt. The solder in its electronics did. Higher temperature solder could have been used, but this would not have made a difference in the end because silicon stops behaving as a semiconductor past a certain temperature. Silicon carbide does not though and we're starting to make ICs that can function at Venusian temperatures. Even the venerable 555 timer/comparator has been made to function at Venusian temperatures[0].
[0]https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8782125 https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8782125
- cout 6y agoWonderful use of the word venerable.
- interestica 6y ago>Venera > Even the venerable... Ha. Did you do that on purpose? I swear I remember reading about "lenses made of diamonds" when I was a kid but I can't find anything now.
- ridgeguy 6y agoThere are diamond lenses [1]. They could be just the thing for Venus, which may have sulphuric acid rain. Diamond has no known equilibrium chemical reactivity below about 550 deg C. [1] http://ndtcompany.com/products/diamond_lenses/ http://ndtcompany.com/products/diamond_lenses/