NASA working on manned mission to Venus

HAVOC is a High Altitude Venus Operation Concept

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – NASA is currently working on a conceptual manned mission to Venus, named the High Altitude Venus Operation Concept—HAVOC.

Venus is uninhabitable for humans, so the vehicle would just explore the atmosphere. Temperatures on the planet’s surface are hotter than Mercury, even though Venus is double the distance from the sun.

Venus’ surface is a barren rocky landscape with volcanic features.

The idea behind NASA’s new mission is to use the planet’s dense atmosphere as a base for exploration. The atmosphere is made up of 97 percent carbon dioxide and about 3 percent nitrogen and trace amounts of other gases.

No date for an actual HAVOC-type mission has been publicly announced yet.