On: Venus' Spectral Signatures and the Potential for Life in the Clouds

[hackeraccount]

Closer than Mars. Only in distance. If you look at it in terms of Delta V http://i.imgur.com/SqdzxzF.png In those terms Venus is comparable to Saturn.

That said, I'm totally on board - it's the closest thing to Earth in the solar system.

[seszett → hackeraccount]

> If you look at it in terms of Delta V http://i.imgur.com/SqdzxzF.png In those terms Venus is comparable to Saturn.

The high number here though is for going from low orbit to the surface, I think. It is very high because of Venus' very slow rotation, but the atmosphere probably makes that point moot, as you can pretty much "just" aerobrake as needed and use the wind to get going in the right direction at the right altitude.

So if you don't need to actually get down to the surface with a delta-V of 0 relative to the ground, the delta-V you need relative to Earth is indeed lower than the one needed to get down on Mars ground.

It makes it very hard to leave, though.