.jpg)
It sounds crazy but it is indeed a project of NASA. Scientists at the US space agency unveiled the HAVOC project "High Altitude Venus Operational Concept".
After March it was the Venus turn to be the center of attention. Venus is the nearest neighbor of the Earth. But with a surface temperature approaching 500 ° C, well above the melting point of lead, Venus does not seem easy to explore the red planet.
However, to the researchers, the atmosphere of Venus could be an interesting destination for future human exploration.
A kind of airship, lighter than air, strapped with instruments and sensors, could be home to a crew of two people on Venus for a month.
See This : Real Iron Man may soon join the ranks of the US military
Such a manned space mission would require less time than a Mars mission and environment, Venus atmospheric pressure and gravity of 50 km above sea level, making it more inviting for a crew of explorers. The airship inflated with helium, operate on solar power.
Moreover, Venus would be better protected against sunlight than Mars. A mission in the atmosphere of Venus would be attractive.
To achieve this feat, many technical challenges remain to be met, such as travel from Earth to Venus, inserting and inflating the blimp in the atmosphere, protecting solar panels against sulfuric acid present in mass in opaque clouds.
After 30 days in the atmosphere of Venus, the manned capsule comes off the airship to transform into a rocket and return the crew to Earth.
The plans of NASA scientists go even further by imagining real colonies floating above the clouds of Venus. Perhaps a way to extend the presence of mankind in space?