Design of Isogrid Shells for Venus Surface Probes

The harsh environment of Venus poses a significant challenge for the design of lightweight surface probes. The authors investigated isogrid-stiffened spherical shells produced by additive manufacturing. A Ti-6Al-4V, 1.12-m-diam lightweight structural shell capable of surviving a Venus surface environment was designed and assessed via analytical methods and finite element modeling. Subscale components (200 mm diameter) were designed, analyzed, and fabricated using laser powder bed fusion and tested under hydrostatic external pressure at ambient temperatures for model validation. A subscale sphere was successfully tested under Venuslike pressures and temperatures at a hot isostatic press facility. It was found that additively manufactured isogrid shells could lead to significant mass, cost, and schedule savings, freeing resources for increased science return from future missions.