task0778
Diamond Member
If the bacteria could grow and reproduce exponentially they would remove the majority of the CO2 in a very short time. Once the greenhouse is under control the planet would be warmer than Mars and have plenty of oxygen derived from the CO2. Tee shirt and shorts.true enough but we will soon have designer bacteria that can turn CO2 into carbon and oxygen, powered by the sun. put a small number into the Venusian atmosphere and stand back
Hmmm. That would be intriguing to watch wouldn't it. All we have to do is determine that there is no sentient life on Venus that we would be interfering with and it could be a really fun experiment.
Yeah but it could be a really long movie. Took us 3 billion years or so to evolve I think. I really don't think Venus would be a suitable place for us to colonize. Mars or a few of those moons around Jupiter or Saturn that might have water might be better choices.
Uh-huh. It might eventually be doable but I remain a bit skeptical. Consider this:
Venus is the hottest world in the solar system. Although Venus is not the planet closest to the sun, its dense atmosphere traps heat in a runaway version of the greenhouse effect that warms Earth. As a result, temperatures on Venus reach 870 degrees Fahrenheit (465 degrees Celsius), more than hot enough to melt lead. Probes that scientists have landed there have survived only a few hours before being destroyed.
Venus has a hellish atmosphere as well, consisting mainly of carbon dioxide with clouds of sulfuric acid, and scientists have only detected trace amounts of water in the atmosphere. The atmosphere is heavier than that of any other planet, leading to a surface pressure 90 times that of Earth. Incredibly, however, early in Venus' history the planet may have been habitable, according to models from NASA researchers at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies.
The surface of Venus is extremely dry. During its evolution, ultraviolet rays from the sun evaporated water quickly, keeping it in a prolonged molten state. There is no liquid water on its surface today because the scorching heat created by its ozone-filled atmosphere would cause any to boil away. Roughly two-thirds of the Venusian surface is covered by flat, smooth plains that are marred by thousands of volcanoes, some which are still active today, ranging from about 0.5 to 150 miles (0.8 to 240 kilometers) wide, with lava flows carving long, winding canals up to more than 3,000 miles (5,000 km) in length, longer than on any other planet.
Planet Venus Facts: A Hot, Hellish & Volcanic Planet
Very true which is why I think visiting there not a good idea. However, alang is thinking outside the box in how that hellish world could be altered with the introduction of innovative bacteria, assuming those bacteria could survive those conditions. In time it could change Venus into a much more hospitable place.
Meanwhile I hope we keep looking for other "Class M" (Star Trek) planets out there that the next generation or two might have capability to visit.
Ah yes, cue the music:
Space - the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Her 5 year mission: to seek out life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before.