Don't call the guys from the funny farm, I don't think I've lost my mind yet. I know, Venus is inhospitable to human settlement. It is too hot, with a surface temperature hot enough to melt lead. The atmospheric pressure at the surface is so great that it would crush a man flat. The atmosphere is poisonous. Why on Earth would anyone even think of going there to visit, much less, to live?
Let's take an inventory of what Venus has to offer. In its atmosphere, of course. On the surface, it may be too challenging.
- carbon dioxide
- sulfuric acid
- abundant energy from the sun
- water
- nitrogen
Sulfuric acid and carbon dioxide are amazing substances. And Venus has more of it than be imagined.
Sulfuric acid can be used in a variety of chemical processes, of particular interest is ore processing. Venus' atmosphere could be converted into a huge processing plant for ore extraction. It's carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen can be used for life support. There could be an economic reason to colonize Venus.
How to "live on Venus"? You don't. Just live in the atmosphere. This too may prove to be too difficult, but a way might be found. The key is that the thickness of the Venusian atmosphere can be an asset. You can float on its surface, like floating on water. The tricky part is not to get destroyed by its industrial strength atmosphere and its intense heat and radiation. If those problems can be solved, Venus can be colonized. Maybe.
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