Space & Astronomy

NASA proposes a 'cloud city' above Venus

By T.K. Randall
December 21, 2014 ·  63 comments

Astronauts could explore Venus without setting foot on the surface. Image Credit: NASA While most of the recent focus on sending humans to other worlds has been on a manned mission to Mars, NASA has been considering other possibilities including the idea of sending astronauts to Venus to explore the planet from the air.

While the surface of Venus is extremely inhospitable to humans, its upper atmosphere enjoys far more favorable conditions and could be a viable target for future missions.

The project, which is known as the 'High Altitude Venus Operational Concept', would enable astronauts to circumnavigate the planet in special airships 50km above the ground.

A concept video put together by NASA's Langley Research Center can be viewed below.


Source: Huffington Post | Comments (63)

Tags: Venus