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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 2021)
A3 THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 Tiny Micro-Chip Now In The Ear: Available! Now You See It... Now You Don’t! ou Tibor Balint/NASA An artist rendering from 2018 of a robotic balloon that could be part of a return to Venus. • One of the smallest custom hearing aids ever made • 48 channel digital signal processing • Digital engineering allows 1,000’s of custom settings • Controlled by state-of-the-art software NASA selects Tillamook company to design robotic balloons for future trip By TOM BANSE Northwest News Network The space agency NASA has chosen a small Tillamook-based aerospace company to design and test robotic balloons for future scientifi c exploration of Venus. Near Space Corporation is working on the Venus project with some of the same NASA team mem- bers managing an historic helicopter drone fl ight on Mars. Near Space CEO Tim Lachenmeier said his company hopes to test fl y a Venus explo- ration balloon prototype on Earth in early fall. Lachenmeier said the harsh operating environment of Venus presents a diffi cult, but fascinating technical challenge. “Venus has a very hostile atmosphere,” Lachenmeier said, noting the threat of cor- rosion from sulfuric acid in Venus’s thick clouds alongside hot temperatures. “Most things you would build balloons out of would deteriorate in a hurry.” “There’s this battle between how robust you make it,” Lachenmeier said. “If it is too robust it won’t fl y. So, you have to kind of fi nesse the actual design.” Space probes previously sent to the inhospitable surface of Earth’s nearest plan- etary neighbor have measured hellishly hot conditions before failing in short order. Thus, the attraction of attaching sensors to a “smart,” Tefl on-coated aerial platform that could fl oat and ride on the winds in the rel- atively balmy upper atmosphere of Venus. “There is no commissioned mission for a balloon at Venus yet, but balloons are a great way to explore Venus because the atmosphere is so thick and the surface is so harsh,” said Jet Propulsion Laboratory engi- neer Siddharth Krishnamoorthy in a NASA web post. “The balloon is like the sweet spot, where you’re close enough to get a lot of important stuff out, but you’re also in a much more benign environment where your sensors can actually last long enough to give you something meaningful.” While the exploits of the Perseverance rover on Mars understandably command the gaze of space enthusiasts and NASA at the moment, Venus could eventually recapture a share of attention and money thanks to a recent discovery hinting at possible micro- bial life on Venus. Last fall, researchers from Cardiff Uni- versity in the United Kingdom announced they detected the gas phosphine while studying the Venusian atmosphere by tele- scope. Phosphine is produced by microbes living in harsh environments or in chemical factories, the latter of which Venus doesn’t have. “Venus is suddenly taking a new and more high level priority,” Lachenmeier observed in light of the fi nding that life may actually exist on the planet. He guessed the yet-to-be-funded Venus mission could launch in eight to 10 years. If such a mission comes to be, it would fol- low in the pioneering trail of the former Soviet Union’s Vega balloons, two of which probed the Venusian atmosphere in 1985 for a few days each before their batteries died. Lachenmeier said Near Space has won a series of contracts and grants dating back sev- eral years to work on the design and testing of what they are calling Venus aerobots. The most recent government award announced a few weeks ago of up to $125,000 gives the company six months to design a method to insert and infl ate a balloon in the Venu- sian atmosphere after it is dropped off by a spacecraft. If NASA fi nds this work satis- factory, the company can apply for follow up funding to further develop and test its balloon and sensor package prototypes. Near Space has several decades worth of experience in high altitude balloon opera- tions on Earth and also operates the Tilla- mook UAS Test Range. Besides NASA, other clients of Near Space and the Tilla- mook test range include the Department of Defense, University of Washington, Boeing and other private companies. GLOBE TROTTING WITH CHEF SEAN A ZOOM COOKING CLASS AND FUNDRAISER FEATURING TAPAS! Join Chef Sean Whittacker, winner of “Iron Chef Goes Coastal” and learn the secrets to making scrumtious tapas from around the world! Recipes Included! $ 30 Tickets ou Spaces are Limited Call Today for your FREE* Hearing Evaluation! 5 Days Only! Mon, Tues, Wed, Thur & Fri Tillamook Warrenton 2505 Main Ave N Ste. C Tillamook, OR 97141 503-836-7926 173 S. Hwy. 101 Warrenton, OR 97146 503-836-7921 One More Thing Some parts of the evaluation include the use of a familiar voice, so please bring a spouse or family member with you. Call us today to confirm your appointment time! The Miracle-Ear Advantage: $3,290 $ * 995 • • • • • Receive 2 AudioTone™ Pro Hearing Aids at $995 for a limited time only. *limit one coupon per patient at the promotional price during event dates only. Not valid with any other discount or offer. Does not apply to prior purchases. Fits up to a 35 db loss. Offer expires 4/21/21. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee* 3-Year Limited Warranty** FREE Lifetime Service Over 65 Years in Business Over 1,200 Locations Nationwide Mention Code: 21APRTINY Sold on: Facebook Assistance League of the Columbia Pacific If you do not use facebook PLEASE send your $30 check to Assistance League of the Columbia Pacific, PO Box 596, Astoria 97103 include your email address and we will email the zoom link and information for the class! Sunday, April 18, 2021 4:00pm THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: PROVIDENCE HEALTH AND SERVICES; LUM’S TOYOTA, CHRYSLER, DODGE, JEEP & RAM; COLUMBIA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL; TLC/FIBRE CREDIT UNION. Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Clatsop Distributing Co., Pacific Power, Columbia River Bar Pilots, Warrenton Kia, Nicolle Landwehr Financial Advisor, US Bank, Columbia Bank, Twisted Fish, Finns and the Times Theater. Most Insurance Plans Accepted Including Blue Cross Blue Shield * Pursuant o terms of your purchase agreement, the aids may be returned in satisfactory condition within 30 days for a full refund. Fitting fee may apply. ** - Not valid on Audiotone Pro.