Titan sub co-founder aims to send humans to Venus

Guillermo Söhnlein, co-founder of the company behind the ill-fated Titan submersible, which tragically exploded, claiming five lives, is now turning his focus to a new and ambitious goal: Venus.

In an April blog post, the 58-year-old OceanGate co-founder proposed that humans could safely visit and even reside on Venus, despite its harsh and inhospitable environment.

**Mission to Venus**

Söhnlein is confident that the challenges posed by Venus, such as high carbon dioxide levels and clouds of sulfuric acid, can be managed with appropriate technology, including breathing apparatus and acid-resistant materials.

He envisions constructing habitats in Venus’s atmosphere, approximately 50 kilometers above the surface, where conditions are more similar to Earth’s, unlike the planet’s surface, which reaches temperatures of 864 degrees Fahrenheit (462.22°C).

“We could begin our journey to Venus TODAY… and do it safely and cost-effectively,” Söhnlein stated.

He argues that Venus presents a more accessible option than Mars due to its closer proximity to Earth and more similar orbit, leading to lower costs, more frequent flight opportunities, shorter travel times, and higher safety.

“We don’t need to worry about successful landings on Venus’s surface, which is a major challenge on Mars,” he added.

Söhnlein suggests that venturing to Venus first could help develop the necessary skills and technologies for future Mars missions.

“Sending humans to Venus before Mars might better prepare us for establishing a community on Mars,” he explained.

Despite widespread skepticism among experts about human life on Venus, Söhnlein remains optimistic, aiming for Venus colonization by 2050.

“[Sending humans to Venus] is an aspirational goal, but achievable by 2050,” he told Business Insider.

**Space Bridge Partners**

While humans have only traveled as far as the Moon, Söhnlein is determined to make Venus exploration a reality. Following the tragic loss of his co-founder Stockton Rush in the Titan submersible incident last June, Söhnlein remains committed to his vision.

After leaving OceanGate in January 2020, he founded the Humans2Venus Foundation and now advocates for Venus exploration through his new venture, Space Bridge Partners, which aims to connect commercial investors with space exploration missions.