New Delhi, India

Guillermo Söhnlein, the man who founded the company behind the Titan submersible that exploded in the ocean claiming five lives, is now setting his sights on a new frontier: Venus. 

Advertisment

In a blog post in April, the 58-year-old co-founder of OceanGate argued that humans can safely visit and even live on Venus, despite its harsh, inhospitable conditions.

Mission Venus

Söhnlein believes that Venus's challenges, such as its high carbon dioxide levels and sulphuric acid clouds, "can be overcome with breathing apparatus and acid-resistant materials". 

Advertisment

Also read | ‘Atoco Point’: NASA’s rover spots strikingly mysterious rock never seen before on Mars

He suggests that humans could build a home in the Venusian atmosphere, approximately 50 km above its surface, where conditions are more Earth-like — as compared to its surface temperature of 864 degrees Fahrenheit (462.22 °C).

"We could embark on our Venusian journey TODAY… and do it safely and cost-effectively," said the OceanGate co-founder.

Advertisment

He argues that Venus is a more accessible option than Mars. 

"The reality is that Venus is much closer to Earth and has a much more similar orbit, which makes it much more accessible than Mars (lower cost, more frequent flight windows, shorter transit times, higher safety, etc.)"

"Also, we don't have to worry about conducting successful landings on the planet's surface, which is one of the biggest challenges awaiting us on Mars."

Söhnlein believes that sending humans to Venus before Mars could be a safer way to develop the capabilities needed for interplanetary travel.

Also read | Freshwater and key conditions for life first appeared on Earth 4 billion years ago, study suggests

"If anything, one could argue that sending humans to Venus BEFORE sending them to Mars might be a better way to safely develop the capabilities to create a Martian community," he added.

While experts currently believe human life on Venus is nearly impossible, Söhnlein remains undeterred, viewing Venus' colonisation as a feasible goal by 2050.

"[Sending humans to Venus] … is aspirational, but I think it's also very doable by 2050," he had told Business Insider previously.

Space Bridge Partners

Humans have never travelled beyond the Moon and Venus is a far-away dream, one which Söhnlein wants to make a reality.

Despite the tragic loss of his co-founder, Stockton Rush, in the Titan submersible incident last June, Söhnlein remains committed to his vision. 

He founded the Humans2Venus Foundation after leaving OceanGate in January 2020 and continues to advocate for Venus exploration through his new venture, Space Bridge Partners, which connects commercial investors with space exploration missions.

(With inputs from agencies)