why all the fuss about Mars, why don't we send astronauts to Venus?

Question

we could learn something about global warming by visiting Venus, apparently they've got it rather bad there. And it does seem a bit neglected, with all the attention being on Mars

Answer 1

Venus is a lot closer to the sun, that's why?

It's more our size than Mars but the gravitational forces coming from being closer to the sun would crush anything landing there within hours if not minutes. Then you have the corrosive atmosphere.

As you've noted, Venus has runaway global warming going on. It's covered by clouds of amonia, has sulphuric acid rain and the surface is covered by lava floes, it is very, very, very hot.

Mars is ultimately the best choice within our solar system to explore.

Mercury - closer to the Sun than Venus. One side is baking hot while beyond sunset (one side of Mercury is constantly facing the sun while the other - logically - is facing away), it is close to absolute zero; no atmosphere at all.

Jupiter - No solid ground (perhaps a small, hard core right at the centre but you'd be crushed by its immense gravity long before you got that deep). and storms the size of the Earth raging in the swirling atmosphere.

Saturn/Uranus/Neptune - see Jupiter.

Pluto - NOT A PLANET ANY MORE ... doesn't count.

There have been missions sweeping round some of the more interesting moons with more planned to take a detailed look at the likes of Io and Europa, possibly Ganymede and Miranda to name just four.

At the moment though, our love-affair with Mars looks set to continue.

Answer 2

first the enviroment on venus is very hostile,, the pressure on the surface would crush anything that lands on it and the atmosphere is sulfer and other poisons,, the heat is over 900 degrees F,,
here are some pictures of the surface of venus that the russians took aboard the venera 13 and venera 14 probes that landed there,, the crafts took pictures for about 50 minutes before being crushed and burned up,,

http://www.mentallandscape.com/V_DigitalImages.htm#Venera13

Answer 3

Venus has a surface pressure 90 times that of the Earth. It rains sulphuric acid. The atmosphere is pretty much all carbon dioxide and the temperature is hot enough to melt lead. Not even probes survive for very long.
So, if you fancy beig squashed, baked, boiled, fried and suffocated all at once then I suggest you raise your hand now.
I'll stick to Cornwall. :o)

Answer 4

There has to be very patriotic astronauts to want to go to Mars leaving their families for years and years,what a drudgery and let alone Venus.

Answer 5

First of all, Venus is 800 degrees ALL THE TIME

Second, the atmospheric pressure is 80 time Earth's, so we would be crushed.

If that doesn't kill us, the constant raining down of sulfuric acid will!

Answer 6

I sincerely hope you are NOT serious. I mean, lets not forget about the thick clouds of sulfuric acid and the searing heat. And its not as neglected as you think. A lot of geologist are using satellite images to infer things about the topography and tectonics on Venus.

Answer 7

first of all...conditions on venus don't allow us to reach venus. second...mars actually shows direct proof that life could be there or could have been there at one point of time. since...aliens would be a great discovery, we are sendig astronauts to mars.

Answer 8

the surface temperature on venus is hot enough to melt lead, the atmospheric pressure is 90x's that of the earth's, and, if that's not enough, it rains sulfuric acid.

Answer 9

The surface temperature is said to be hot enough to cause the metal lead to become molten.

Answer 10

Nope the air there is unbreathable. enven if they had a space suit on the would get killed.