Mars is a shithole, seriously, and for several key reasons. And before I get started, yes, Venus' surface would suck big time. But we would not live on the surface. Think [b]"Bespin"[/b]. Creating floating habitats on Venus is actually not a huge hurtle to overcome, and several factors make it a way better place for humans than Mars. Here is a few key reasons why Mars would suck: 1. Radiation. If you think your microwave is bad for your balls, go live on Mars where solar radiation is going to turn you into a baked potato. (Not seriously, but seriously as far as your genes are concerned). Mars has intense solar radiation and no magnetic field or atmosphere to mitigate it. 2. Gravity. The surface gravity of Mars is only 38% that of Earth. Living there is going to seriously mess up bone density. Unless you spend your leisure time spinning your ass off in a souped up gravitron, you are going to end up a limp sack of bones that can barely stand. Sounds fun. 3. Dust. Mars dust seriously screws up electronics. 4. Meteorite impacts. The surface of the planet is constantly getting pounded. Have fun underground. I'm not saying we should never go to Mars, but it just isn't a good first goal. Besides the reasons i've listed, what with launch windows, getting to Mars takes a really long time. Venus is way closer, and whats more, it is actually the most Earth like place in the solar system. [i]"But Peaches! The surface of Venus is a literal hellscape." [/i] Yes, I know. But let me explain: the [i]surface[/i] of Venus is hellish and inhospitable to life. But not its [i]atmosphere[/i]. About 50km (31miles) from the surface Venus' atmosphere is comparable to Earth temperature wise, about 167 degrees F. If you go just a little higher, its as cool as 81 degrees F! Whats more, due to the density of Venus' atmosphere, the air we breath on Earth is actually a lifting gas in the same way as helium on Earth. We can quite literally float a structure on Venus using the air we breath. Also, Venus does not have the same issues I mentioned regarding Mars: 1. Radiation. While Venus also does not have any magnetic field to speak of, at 50km the atmosphere is still sufficiently dense to block a large amount of solar radiation. 2. Gravity. Venus' size and mass is almost equal to Earth's, with a surface gravity 91% that of Earth. Bone density issues will likely be non existent or very minor on Venus. 3. Dust. No dust floating at 50km. 4. Meteor Impacts. Again, at 50km Venus' atmosphere is still pretty thick and would help burn up anything that enters. Venus is also way closer to Earth, and offers regular launch windows and takes way less time to get to: https://www.universetoday.com/36288/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-to-venus/ 97 days vs about 150 days for Mars: https://www.mars-one.com/faq/mission-to-mars/how-long-does-it-take-to-travel-to-mars Besides being able to easily float a structure on Venus using the air we breath, we could actually achieve day and night cycles floating along Venus atmosphere. There are strong jet stream like currents, causing Venus atmosphere to cycle the entire planet comparatively fast, which means if you positioned a floating habitat at the right latitude, you could circle the entire planet in 24hrs, achieving a day/night cycle similar to Earth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Venus At a height of about 50km, Venus atmospheric pressure is almost the same as Earth's, meaning you wouldn't even need to wear a pressurized suit if you ventured onto the exterior of your floating habitat. Just an oxygen tank and a layer to protect your skin. Another great thing about Venus is the abundance of potential solar energy. At 50km up, Venus is a very bright place. And due to being closer to the sun than Earth, there is actually [i]more[/i] solar power. Floating at 50km you could position solar panels on the top and bottom of your habitat, as the atmosphere below you would reflect a majority of the light back up. This is a big contrast with Mars, which is much farther from the sun and offers significantly less solar energy. Another thing, since the pressure of Venus atmosphere at 50km is the same pressure (different from density) as Earth atmosphere, if your floating habitat somehow sprung a leak, it would not pop like a balloon. The outside atmosphere would slowly displace the inner gas of your habitat, giving you time to find and fix the leak. There are difficulties, such as Venus atmosphere being full of corrosive acids. But creating a structure resistant to those chemicals is not impossible. The biggest difficulty with Venus is the lack of water. We would have to bring it with us. But it doesn't seem impossible that we could create a habitat where water was efficiently recycled, and a potential colony was supplied with intermittent shipments from Earth. I've even read somewhere that getting to the asteroid belt could be easier from Venus due to orbits and launch windows. I'll link that below if I can find it. Basically, Venus has numerous advantages over Mars as a potential target of human colonization. Yes, there are difficulties, but they do not seem insurmountable. I would way rather live like Lando cruising the skies, rather than being held up in some Martian cave gradually loosing my bone mass and ability to procreate. As humans, we have a mentality that exploration has to involve "setting foot" in a new place, before it is truly settled. Just think about early explorers or Neil Armstrong. Living on Venus would never involve "setting foot", at least not until we developed technologies that could withstand the immense pressure and temperatures. But we would live like sky gods, floating through the most earth like place our solar system has to offer. Thanks for reading my shitty essay. I feel like I'm in high school again. Here's some links. I'll try to add more later: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonization_of_Venus#Advantages Edit: [i]this short PDF article by NASA explains many of Venus' advantages as a potential colony, such as the asteroid belt being even more accessible from Venus than Earth or Mars:[/i] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20030022668.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwisk9yR84vkAhUToZ4KHf6jBuUQFjAfegQICRAB&usg=AOvVaw1kIYIeAeF07qvhZhlfmsao A fun read: https://www.citylab.com/life/2014/07/the-surprisingly-strong-case-for-colonizing-venus/373560/ Some interesting discussion on logistics: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=46880.0 [b][i]Edit: While I think Venus is a better option than Mars, I also think seriously trying to go to either planet is unrealistic until we establish a permanent presence on the Moon. Trying to execute these sorts of missions without a Moon base is like trying to make regular sea voyages without a harbor. The moon is close, accessible, and we could build a base there for relatively cheap. For now, the most we should send to Venus or Mars is unmanned probes.[/i][/b]