OceanGate’s cofounder aims to send 1,000 people to a Venus floating colony by 2050 and encourages continuous innovation.

OceanGate's cofounder aims to send 1,000 people to a Venus floating colony by 2050 and encourages continuous innovation.

Humanity’s Ambitious Plan to Colonize Venus

Venus

Guillermo Söhnlein, a cofounder of OceanGate, has a grand aspiration for the future. By 2050, he would like to see 1,000 humans living in the sulfuric acid clouds of Venus. Despite the recent tragedy involving the Titan submersible, Söhnlein remains undeterred in his pursuit of making humanity a multi-planet species. He believes that pushing the limits of innovation is crucial for our species to evolve.

Venus: Earth’s Not-So-Ideal Twin

Venus is often referred to as Earth’s twin, but it is far from being an ideal place for humans to thrive. With a surface temperature that can melt lead and an atmosphere filled with carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid, Venus seems like an inhospitable environment. Its atmospheric pressure is more than 90 times that of Earth. Even within the space industry, the idea of sending humans to Venus raises eyebrows.

However, Söhnlein sees a sliver of hope. He points to research suggesting that about 30 miles from the surface, the Venusian atmosphere becomes slightly more temperate and less pressurized. If a space station could withstand the sulfuric acid clouds, hundreds to thousands of people could potentially find a home in the Venusian atmosphere.

Part of a Grand Plan

Söhnlein’s dreams of colonizing Venus are just one part of his grander plan to push humanity beyond its natural boundaries on Earth. He has always been driven to make humanity a multi-planet species, starting from a young age when he dreamt of being the commander of the first Martian colony. OceanGate, his previous venture, was a step in that direction, using crewed submersibles for underwater exploration, which he considered the closest thing to going into space.

His latest endeavor, Humans2Venus, aims to come up with creative business concepts and start-up ideas to overcome commercial barriers to putting humans on Venus. Söhnlein believes that developing techniques to reduce launch operational costs and funding space missions without relying on governmental agencies is essential.

Breaking Barriers through Innovation

To go beyond what has been achieved before, breaking barriers is necessary. OceanGate had already made significant strides in reducing the cost of operation and launch costs of their submersibles by 2013. However, one barrier that stood in their way was the conventional belief that deep-diving submersibles needed to be spherical and made of titanium steel.

Stockton Rush, Söhnlein’s former colleague and friend, decided to challenge this belief by creating a large deep-diving submersible made of carbon fiber. This type of innovative thinking is reminiscent of Silicon Valley superstars like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, who constantly push the boundaries of possibility.

No Such Thing as Perfect Safety

The tragedy involving the Titan submersible raised questions about safety and certification. Rush did not seek certification for his submersible as there was no independent expert on carbon fiber submersibles for deep-sea diving. Söhnlein believed that certification would only create an illusion of safety, potentially leading to complacency. In pushing boundaries, calculated risks are necessary.

Söhnlein emphasizes that despite the tragic incident, humanity must continue to explore carbon fiber hulled submersibles as a means to reach the depths of the ocean. Halting progress due to fear would hinder the potential for significant breakthroughs.

Pushing Humanity to its Limits

Given the ambitious goal of sending humans to Venus by 2050, it begs the question of whether it is a realistic endeavor. Andrew Coates, a space physics professor, believes that with political will and substantial funding, it is possible. However, he questions the purpose behind such an undertaking, as both Venus and Mars present extremely harsh environments for human habitation.

Apart from the challenges of cosmic radiation, extreme temperatures, and long space journeys, the psychological aspect of living in closed environments for extended periods is also a significant concern. Additionally, introducing humans to these pristine environments may contaminate potential signs of life.

Söhnlein’s stance is that if humanity needs to move beyond Earth due to population growth, the moon may be a more viable option. However, for Humans2Venus, the question is not why Venus, but rather, why not?

In conclusion, Guillermo Söhnlein’s aspirations to colonize Venus may seem far-fetched, but they reflect his unwavering belief in pushing the boundaries of innovation. While there are numerous challenges and skeptics, the drive to explore and expand humanity’s horizons should never be extinguished.