A Look Into Whether Humans Should Try to Colonize Venus Instead of Mars

A recent episode of PBS Space Time asks the question “Should we colonize Venus instead of Mars?” Host Gabe Perez-Giz looks at the hazards of trying to colonize Mars and compares them to those of trying to colonize Venus. The idea is currently being considered by NASA for the potential High Altitude Venus Operational Concept (HAVOC) mission, which could send solar-powered airships to Venus.

Perez-Giz also suggests that the reason there is more interest in Mars than Venus is “surfacism” as word he made up to imply that humans only seem interested in exploring the surface of a new planet, rather than floating in its atmosphere.

NASA produced a concept video showing how the HAVOC mission could work.