NASA Proposes Sending Humans To The Skies Of Venus

NASA scientists have created a study proposing humans go colonise Venus. However, since the surface of the planet has 92 times more pressure than Earth's atmosphere and a temperature of 500 degrees C, we will explore from the safe distance of the clouds using Airships and Cloud Cities.

Dale Arney and Chris Jones are making a big request with their report, which will include some big changes at NASA. The belief is that the atmosphere of Venus may be more hospitable to human missions if explored by an airship, making for a closer target to us at the moment compared to Mars.

This is where they introduce the High Altitude Venus Operational Concept, or Havoc for short: a helium-filled airship that runs on solar power. The plan is to send a robotic version first to fly at 31 miles above the surface of Venus. Scientists state gravity will only by slightly lower than Earth's and pressure about the same. Above all this as well, Venus is less exposed to radiation to Mars, with the same levels as "if you were in Canada." After this is confirmed, a larger, crewed version will touch down and set up a floating colony in the sky.

So why are they wanting to shift attention away from the red planet? A few benefits: it's closer, could provide the technological expertise and give potential crew members experience with trips to other planets. "If you did Venus first, you could get a leg up on advancing those technologies and those capabilities ahead of doing a human-scale Mars mission," Chris Jones commented. "It’s a chance to do a practice run, if you will, of going to Mars."