Man has always tried to live on other planets. More than half a dozen, planets moving round the sun and human settlement is on only one? Not an option! But it had to wait, because of the hostile environments on those other planets.
It had been impossible, until now.
Now, there is a way.
NASA scientists have figured out one.
Venus is a planet that is remarkably similar to our own, in size, density, gravity, and composition. Because they are so alike, it sometimes is called Earth's twin. However, despite all these similarities, the environment is a bit too uncomfortable.
Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system, the temperature of the surface can reach 465ºC (870ºF); 4 times of what it takes to boil water. Hot enough to melt lead.
And the pressure of the atmosphere, there, is 90 times that of ours here! Imagine how it would feel to walk with a full-grown rhinoceros on our shoulder all the time — the atmospheric pressure on Venus is far worse than that.
Plus, there are toxic clouds containing highly dangerous sulphuric acid, so living is hardly possible on the surface.
As scientists are supposed to do, the NASA scientists have found a solution. They have devised a brilliant way to live all the same, by avoiding the surface altogether, creating a floating colony miles over the surface!
At 50 kilometres above its surface, Venus offers one atmosphere of pressure and only slightly lower gravity than Earth. Mars, in comparison, has a “sea level” atmospheric pressure of less than a hundredth of the Earth’s, and gravity just over a third Earth normal. The temperature at 50 km on Venus is around 75 °C, which is a mere 17 degrees hotter than the highest temperature recorded on Earth. It averages -63 °C on Mars, and while neither extreme would be pleasant for an unprotected human, both are manageable.
Named the High Altitude Venus Operational Concept (or HAVOC, in short), this evolutionary program consists of a series of undertakings. At first, a robot will be sent into the atmosphere to test the waters. A ship of crews will be following, in a 30-day orbital mission. If the mission is successful, there will be another mission: humans spending a year in the atmosphere of Venus, this time. — Or maybe the establishment of a permanent floating "city"!
The crafts sent to the missions will look a bit like weather balloons, with "baskets" bigger than the usual ones. In the first expedition, to conduct the tests on the atmosphere, the robot will get an airship about 31 metres long. The crewed vehicle, on the other hand, will have the length of 130 metres — ample space for humans to feel comfortable. The helium-filled airship will use solar power as fuel, and 31 miles over the surface, there will be more than enough of that. The actualization of ships of this type will turn a long-cherished dream of humankind into reality.
Soon, there will come a time when you may be able to boast about your personal space in a ship over Venus!
Now, it is time just to wait for the launch…