Exploring Venus's Core with Floating Seismometers

Scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory are proposing the use of seismometers hanging from high-altitude balloons to study the inner workings of Venus. Infrasound seismometers, which monitor infrasound pressure waves transmitted through a medium other than the ground, could pick up seismic activity in Venus' atmosphere. The high-altitude balloon would eliminate the need for materials that can survive on Venus' scorching surface. However, challenges remain, including the lack of successful balloon missions to Venus and the difficulty of validating seismic data without other sensors. Despite the potential, there are currently no plans for a mission utilizing this technology.