Teraforming Venus - again....
William R. Cousert
Why not put a layer of utility fog at 50km? It could rotate once every 24=
=20
hours and provide an environment that is nearly identical to Earth.
>From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonization_of_Venus
------ begin quote
Aerostat habitats and floating cities
Geoffrey A. Landis has summarized the perceived difficulties in colonizin=
g=20
Venus as being merely from the assumption that a colony would need to be=20
based on the surface of a planet:
"However, viewed in a different way, the problem with Venus is merely=
=20
that the ground level is too far below the one atmosphere level. At=20
cloud-top level, Venus is the paradise planet."
He has proposed aerostat habitats followed by floating cities, based on t=
he=20
concept that breathable air (21:79 Oxygen-Nitrogen mixture) is a lifting =
gas=20
in the dense Venusian atmosphere, with over 60% of the lifting power that=
=20
helium has on Earth.[2] In effect, a balloon full of human-breathable air=
=20
would sustain itself and extra weight (such as a colony) in midair. At an=
=20
altitude of 50 km above Venusian surface, the environment is the most=20
Earth-like in the solar system - a pressure of approximately 1 bar and=20
temperatures in the 0=B0C-50=B0C range. Because there is not a significan=
t=20
pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the breathable-=
air=20
balloon, any rips or tears would cause gases to diffuse at normal=20
atmospheric mixing rates, giving time to repair any such damages. In=20
addition, humans would not require pressurized suits when outside, merely=
=20
air to breathe and a protection from the acidic rain. Alternatively two-p=
art=20
domes could contain a lifting gas like hydrogen or helium (extractable fr=
om=20
the atmosphere) to allow a higher mass density.[3]
Cloud-top colonization also offers a way to avoid the issue of slow Venus=
ian=20
rotation. At the top of the clouds the wind speed on Venus reaches up to =
95=20
m/s, circling the planet approximately every four Earth days in a phenome=
non=20
known as "super-rotation".[4] Colonies floating in this region could=20
therefore have a much shorter day length by remaining untethered to the=20
ground and moving with the atmosphere. While a space elevator extending t=
o=20
the surface of Venus is impractical due to the slow rotation, constructin=
g a=20
skyhook that extended into the upper atmosphere and rotated at the wind=20
speed would not be difficult compared to constructing a space elevator on=
=20
Earth.
Since such colonies would be viable in current Venusian conditions, this=20
allows a dynamic approach to colonization instead of requiring extensive=20
terraforming measures in advance. The main challenge would be using a=20
substance resistant to sulfuric acid to serve as the structure's outer=20
layer; ceramics or metal sulfates could possibly serve in this role.
Landis has suggested that as more floating cities were built, they could=20
form a solar shield around the planet, and could simultaneously be used t=
o=20
process the atmosphere into a more desirable form. If made from carbon=20
nanotubes (recently fabricated into sheet form) or graphene (a sheet-like=
=20
carbon allotrope), the major structural materials can be produced using=20
carbon dioxide gathered in situ from the atmosphere. The recently=20
synthesised amorphous carbonia might prove a useful structural material i=
f=20
it can be quenched to STP conditions, perhaps in a mixture with regular=20
silica glass. According to Birch's analysis such colonies and materials=20
would provide an immediate economic return from colonizing Venus, funding=
=20
further terraforming efforts.
Landis' point about the ground level being too far below the one atmosphe=
re=20
level was also used by Larry Niven in his depiction of Plateau, a Venus-l=
ike=20
planet with a small section of its surface rising up to the habitable lev=
el=20
of the atmosphere. Similar setting is used in one of the early Poul Ander=
son=20
novels.
--- end quote
=20
BradGuth
On Sep 15, 9:56=A0am, "William R. Cousert" <wrcous...@NOSPAMyahoo.com>
wrote:
> Why not put a layer of utility fog at 50km? It could rotate once every 24=
> =3D20
> hours and provide an environment that is nearly identical to Earth.
>
>
> ------ begin quote
> Aerostat habitats and floating cities
>
> Geoffrey A. Landis has summarized the perceived difficulties in colonizin=
> g=3D20Venusas being merely from the assumption that a colony would need t=
o be=3D20
> based on the surface of a planet:
>
ly=3D
> =3D20
> that the ground level is too far below the one atmosphere level. At=3D20
> cloud-top level,Venusis the paradise planet."
>
> He has proposed aerostat habitats followed by floating cities, based on t=
> he=3D20
> concept that breathable air (21:79 Oxygen-Nitrogen mixture) is a lifting =
> gas=3D20
> in the dense Venusian atmosphere, with over 60% of the lifting power that=
> =3D20
> helium has on Earth.[2] In effect, a balloon full of human-breathable air=
> =3D20
> would sustain itself and extra weight (such as a colony) in midair. At an=
> =3D20
> altitude of 50 km above Venusian surface, the environment is the most=3D2=
0
> Earth-like in the solar system - a pressure of approximately 1 bar and=3D=
20
> temperatures in the 0=3DB0C-50=3DB0C range. Because there is not a signif=
ican=3D
> t=3D20
> pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the breathable-=
> air=3D20
> balloon, any rips or tears would cause gases to diffuse at normal=3D20
> atmospheric mixing rates, giving time to repair any such damages. In=3D20
> addition, humans would not require pressurized suits when outside, merely=
> =3D20
> air to breathe and a protection from the acidic rain. Alternatively two-p=
> art=3D20
> domes could contain a lifting gas like hydrogen or helium (extractable fr=
> om=3D20
> the atmosphere) to allow a higher mass density.[3]
>
> Cloud-top colonization also offers a way to avoid the issue of slowVenus=
> ian=3D20
> rotation. At the top of the clouds the wind speed onVenusreaches up to =
> 95=3D20
> m/s, circling the planet approximately every four Earth days in a phenome=
> non=3D20
> known as "super-rotation".[4] Colonies floating in this region could=3D20
> therefore have a much shorter day length by remaining untethered to the=
> ground and moving with the atmosphere. While a space elevator extending t=
> o=3D20
> the surface ofVenusis impractical due to the slow rotation, constructin=
=3D
> g a=3D20
> skyhook that extended into the upper atmosphere and rotated at the wind=
> speed would not be difficult compared to constructing a space elevator on=
> =3D20
> Earth.
>
> Since such colonies would be viable in current Venusian conditions, this=
> allows a dynamic approach to colonization instead of requiring extensive=
> terraforming measures in advance. The main challenge would be using a=3D2=
0
> substance resistant to sulfuric acid to serve as the structure's outer=3D=
20
> layer; ceramics or metal sulfates could possibly serve in this role.
>
> Landis has suggested that as more floating cities were built, they could=
> form a solar shield around the planet, and could simultaneously be used t=
> o=3D20
> process the atmosphere into a more desirable form. If made from carbon=3D=
20
> nanotubes (recently fabricated into sheet form) or graphene (a sheet-like=
> =3D20
> carbon allotrope), the major structural materials can be produced using=
> carbon dioxide gathered in situ from the atmosphere. The recently=3D20
> synthesised amorphous carbonia might prove a useful structural material i=
> f=3D20
> it can be quenched to STP conditions, perhaps in a mixture with regular=
> silica glass. According to Birch's analysis such colonies and materials=
> would provide an immediate economic return from colonizingVenus, funding=
> =3D20
> further terraforming efforts.
>
> Landis' point about the ground level being too far below the one atmosphe=
> re=3D20
> level was also used by Larry Niven in his depiction of Plateau, aVenus-l=
> ike=3D20
> planet with a small section of its surface rising up to the habitable lev=
> el=3D20
> of the atmosphere. Similar setting is used in one of the early Poul Ander=
> son=3D20
> novels.
> --- end quote
> =3D20
You seem to be having the same problem with your topic as I'm been
having with mine.
-
A floating city or habitat at that altitude of 50 km could be a bumpy
ride.
btw; what's wrong with your text format?
~ BG