Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

We know very little about Venus. Unlike most people that think that Mars is a future human world, I think that either spacecraft or Venus will be our secondary homes in this solar system. All it takes is to get 40 kms off the ground in Venus and a human could walk outside. All you would need is oxygen, which is already trivially supplied with today's technology.

If we bio-engineered some plants to create pockets of lighter gas they could float in the air. Energy generation would be easy because of the thermal differential to the surface.

The biggest problem for being outside longterm (years) is the lack of a ionosphere of similar strength to Earth, but I think that could be tackled. The psychological impact of long days could also be partially mitigated by having the bioengineered pods use sails or engines to follow dusk and go in and out of it, simulating an earth day. But similar gravity and tons of potential compared to shitty Mars.




> If we bio-engineered some plants to create pockets of lighter gas they could float in the air.

Those plants would also need to be able live in an atmosphere that contains seven times more sulfuric acid than water vapors. It's not easy to sustain protein life outside of Earth.

Still a nicer place than Mars, I agree.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: