Guillermo Söhnlein, co-founder of the company behind the Titan submersible, has sparked controversy by suggesting that it’s feasible to “safely” send humans to Venus, as reported by the Independent.
Despite Venus’s hostile conditions—extreme heat and toxic clouds—Söhnlein proposes that humans could adapt using specialized breathing apparatus and acid-resistant materials, detailed in his April blog post.
He envisions establishing habitats approximately 50 kilometers above Venus’s surface, where conditions reportedly resemble those on Earth.
While conventional wisdom deems Venus uninhabitable, Söhnlein’s audacious proposal challenges these notions and posits Venus as a potential destination for human colonization, potentially preceding efforts aimed at Mars.
In his blog, the Argentinian-born entrepreneur emphasized, “We need not be overly concerned with landing on the planet’s surface, a major hurdle for Mars missions.”
He suggests that developing capabilities on Venus could better prepare humanity for establishing a community on Mars.
Söhnlein is actively rallying support from scientists, explorers, and private investors to advance his vision of reaching Venus. “I believe it is a more realistic goal than settling a million people on Mars by 2050,” he asserted in an interview with Business Insider.
Having co-founded OceanGate in 2009 and later founding the Humans2Venus Foundation after leaving the company in January 2020, Söhnlein continues to pursue his ambitious space exploration agenda.
Recently, he launched Space Bridge Partners, a firm facilitating connections between commercial investors and space missions, underscoring his commitment to pushing the boundaries of human space exploration.
