Should We Be Trying to Colonise Venus Instead of Mars?

When you think about space colonization, chances are Mars immediately comes to mind.

The Red Planet has dominated headlines, inspired billionaires, and become the focus of major space agencies around the globe.

But what if we’re overlooking a closer, possibly better alternative?

Venus, often nicknamed Earth’s twin next door, was once a planet teeming with conditions not unlike those of early Earth.

Mounting evidence suggests it might have been habitable billions of years ago.

It’s closer to us than Mars—by more than 14 million kilometers (8.7 million miles)—and offers distinct advantages for colonization.

So, why are we so obsessed with Mars while Venus remains an afterthought?

The reality is this: Venus could be a far easier and more cost-effective colonization target than Mars.

A round trip to Venus would be 30-50% shorter, requiring less fuel, food, and time to carry supplies for a habitable mission.

Its gravity, at 90% of Earth’s, is closer to what we’re used to, meaning colonists would likely suffer fewer health impacts than they would on Mars, where gravity is just 38% of Earth’s.

Additionally, Venus’s thick atmosphere provides excellent protection from solar radiation and meteorites—two of the biggest threats to space colonists.

Despite these compelling factors, Venus isn’t on the radar for manned missions.

As we pour billions into Mars-focused missions, it’s worth asking: Are we ignoring a golden opportunity right in our planetary backyard?

A Closer Look

Mars has captured the human imagination like no other planet. It’s been romanticized in movies, books, and popular culture, painted as a new frontier for humanity.

Billionaires like Elon Musk are pouring their fortunes into plans to colonize Mars, and space agencies like NASA and China’s CNSA are working tirelessly to send humans there.

But here’s the thing: Mars isn’t the easiest or most practical planet to colonize.

Its thin atmosphere offers little protection from the Sun’s radiation or incoming meteorites.

Its gravity, as mentioned earlier, is less than half of Earth’s, which could lead to long-term health issues like bone density loss and muscle atrophy for colonists.

And its energy potential? A fraction of what Venus offers.

Venus, on the other hand, receives four times more solar energy than Mars due to its proximity to the Sun.

This makes it a far more appealing prospect for renewable energy systems—a critical factor for sustaining life on another planet.

So, why is Venus so underappreciated?

Challenging Assumptions About Venus

Here’s where the narrative shifts: We’ve been conditioned to think of Venus as an uninhabitable hellscape, a planet with surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead and crushing atmospheric pressure 92 times that of Earth’s.

But what if colonization doesn’t have to involve the surface at all?

Instead of braving Venus’s fiery ground, scientists have proposed a revolutionary idea: cloud cities.

At about 50 kilometers (31 miles) above Venus’s surface, the temperature drops to a manageable 75°C (167°F), and the atmospheric pressure is similar to what we experience at sea level on Earth.

This is where the magic happens.

In this layer of Venus’s atmosphere, conditions are surprisingly Earth-like.

A team at NASA has even envisioned massive blimp-like airships that would float high in the clouds, serving as homes, research stations, and even hubs for further exploration.

These “cloud cities” would capitalize on Venus’s abundant solar energy and shield residents from the planet’s harsher conditions below.

Suddenly, Venus isn’t so uninhabitable after all. In fact, this approach bypasses the significant challenges of Mars’s surface altogether.

A Comparison of Advantages

Let’s break down the key advantages Venus offers over Mars:

Proximity: Venus is millions of kilometers closer to Earth than Mars, reducing travel time and resource costs for missions.
Gravity: Venus’s gravity is 90% of Earth’s, while Mars’s gravity is only 38%. This makes Venus a better candidate for long-term colonization without severe health risks.
Radiation Protection: Venus’s thick atmosphere acts as a natural shield against harmful solar radiation and meteorites, unlike Mars’s thin atmosphere.
Solar Energy: Venus’s position relative to the Sun gives it four times the solar energy potential of Mars, making renewable energy systems more viable.
Atmospheric Conditions: At 50 kilometers above Venus’s surface, the pressure and temperature are similar to Earth’s, creating a viable zone for habitation.

When viewed objectively, Venus emerges as a serious contender for colonization—possibly even a better one than Mars.

The Human Fascination with Mars

So, why are we still so captivated by Mars? One answer lies in the allure of its surface.

Mars has valleys, mountains, and plains that resemble Earth, making it feel more familiar and accessible.

Venus, by contrast, is cloaked in thick clouds that obscure its surface and evoke a sense of mystery—if not outright hostility.

There’s also the psychological factor. Mars has long been seen as a “clean slate,” a blank canvas for humanity to start over.

Its dry, barren landscape seems ripe for terraforming, a process that has fueled the imaginations of writers and scientists alike.

Venus, with its hostile surface and dense atmosphere, feels less like a blank slate and more like a challenge. But perhaps that’s precisely why we should focus on it.

The Case for Venus Colonization

What if the key to humanity’s future isn’t on a distant, red desert, but in the clouds of a planet much closer to home?

The idea of living in floating cities on Venus might sound like science fiction, but it’s grounded in solid science.

These cloud cities could become hubs of research, innovation, and sustainability, offering a platform to study one of the most Earth-like planets in our solar system.

Moreover, focusing on Venus could have ripple effects beyond colonization.

Understanding its atmosphere and history could shed light on Earth’s own climate and the processes that shaped our planet.

Venus, after all, wasn’t always the scorching world it is today.

Billions of years ago, it might have had oceans and a stable climate—until a runaway greenhouse effect turned it into the inferno we see today.

By studying Venus, we could learn valuable lessons about climate change and planetary evolution, helping us better protect Earth while exploring new frontiers.