NASA proposes real life cloud city

[dDave]

Ever watched Star Wars Episode V? Yeah, I guess NASA has as well.

NASA Proposes Real Life Cloud City Above Venus - IGN

This is really cool but at the same time I think it's completely impossible given the incredible complications that would have to be overcome to do a mission like this. There's massive cost, danger, and a lack of the proper technology to do it.

Thoughts?

 

[Dr4gon]

Oh. Yay. What I always wanted to do - live over a whole planet made of sulfuric acid... not. :shifteyes:
How about robots to Venus and people to Mars? Yeah theres more radiation but not if they wear radiation suits and work in protected underground labs. The walls could be pockets of semi-fluid metals that cant crack from temperature stress and theres already artificial leaves that make oxygen.
Artificial leaves that make oxygen

It would be so totally impossible to terraform Venus but Mars could work. Just send tons of CO2 and artificial leaves.

 

[dDave]

Oh. Yay. What I always wanted to do - live over a whole planet made of sulfuric acid... not. :shifteyes:
How about robots to Venus and people to Mars? Yeah theres more radiation but not if they wear radiation suits and work in protected underground labs. The walls could be pockets of semi-fluid metals that cant crack from temperature stress and theres already artificial leaves that make oxygen.
Artificial leaves that make oxygen

It would be so totally impossible to terraform Venus but Mars could work. Just send tons of CO2 and artificial leaves.

They apparently think Venus would work better.

Anyway, wouldn't you need a lot more than oxygen? If I recall from high school science, the atmosphere contains oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon all in very specific quantities.

I think the idea of colonizing other planets is cool but I think we're inevitably going to start with the moon before moving on to either Venus or Mars. We're still a long ways out from that happening though...

 

[Dr4gon]

They apparently think Venus would work better.

Anyway, wouldn't you need a lot more than oxygen? If I recall from high school science, the atmosphere contains oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon all in very specific quantities.

I think the idea of colonizing other planets is cool but I think we're inevitably going to start with the moon before moving on to either Venus or Mars. We're still a long ways out from that happening though...

Each planet has its pros and cons. Venus has the gravity so it would be easier to grow plants. But its about 50 million miles closer to the sun than Earth so there would probaly be serious issues with heat - especially since a Venus day = 116 Earth days and 18 hours. Also since theres no axial tilt then there wont be any seasons.
Also theres a problem with nitrogen on Venus too. The atmosphere is 96.5% CO2 and only 3.5% nitrogen with other trace elements like sulfuric acid. And thats still not much more nitrogen than on Mars.

Anyway starting oxygen generators on Mars is only one issue. The rovers have been searching for nitrates in the soil too. Since the atmosphere there is 0.13% oxygen and 2.7% nitrogen then there probaly are nitrates. Those could be mined and superheated to make nitrogen gas. But the most important step is to send small factories to the surface to generate pollution. That would increase the amount of greenhouse gasses to warm up the planet and allow liquid water to exist. That would also increase the atmospheric pressure. Since the rest is just trace gasses then they could be added later.

So imo Mars is a better target for terraforming. But zOOmg! That could take 100s of years to do and cost massive amounts of $$$$$$.