OceanGate Co-Founder's Ambitious Venus Mission: Risking Another Tragedy?

Guillermo Söhnlein, the co-founder of OceanGate, has not let his goals be hindered by the deep-sea accident that took the lives of five persons onboard a company's submersible last month.

Söhnlein revealed his ambitious plan to deploy 1,000 people to live in Venus' atmosphere by the year 2050, according to a report from The Independent.

Stockton Rush, the CEO of the firm, and four other passengers perished when OceanGate's Titan submarine collapsed less than two months earlier at a depth of more than 12,000 feet. The tragedy, nevertheless, has not diminished Söhnlein's ambitions for the OceanGate.

Söhnlein boldly said, expressing his ambition to push the limits of space exploration, that he believes it is "less ambitious than placing a million people on the Martian surface by 2050."

A Risky Mission

The size and density of Venus, sometimes known as the "Hell Planet," are comparable to those of Earth. However, its climate is distinguished by swift winds that create sulfuric acid and poisonous carbon dioxide clouds. Söhnlein is persistent in his quest despite the harsh circumstances, citing research that says a small area of Venus' atmosphere could support a human settlement.

Guillermo Söhnlein acknowledged that it would be tough to call Venus "habitable," but he made it plain that it will be. According to NASA and Russia's Venera mission, certain areas of the planet have Earth-like temperatures and pressures.

Experts Blast Söhnlein's Venus Aspirations

Söhnlein's idea to colonize Venus' atmosphere has been criticized by space industry insiders and outsiders, per Gizmondo. The viability and safety of such an endeavor would undoubtedly come under scrutiny from critics and space specialists.

Söhnlein departed OceanGate in 2016 after establishing it with Stockton Rush in 2009. Since then, he has established Humans2Venus, a non-profit with the bold objective of investigating Venus as a possible long-term home for humans. Humans2Venus seeks to establish the most prominent worldwide community of amateur and expert Venus aficionados via projects, including email newsletters, blogs, conferences, and a YouTube channel.

Following the terrible event, OceanGate stated earlier this month that all activities would be suspended. Söhnlein's attention is still on his current project with Humans2Venus, which aims to expand human presence outside Earth.