Exploring Venus clearly has it's challenges. The exploration of an unknown area always has benefits with the information that can be uncovered, but it is almost never easy. Planets in general all hold many barriers for studying done by scientists and researchers. The author of this article suggests that studying Venus is a worthy pursuit despite the dangers it presents by proving that Venus may have once been the most Earth-like planet in our solar system, and that Venus is the nearest option for a planetary visit. The author also claims that The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has a solution to make visiting Venus safer.

First of all, the author says that Venus may have once been the most Earth-like planet in our solar system. In the text, it says, "Venus is the closest planet to Earth in terms of density and size, and occasionally the closest in distance too." Venus is or once was clearly somewhat similar to Earth, and that will help scientists to be able to find out information about our own planet along with another planet that may seem the most reasonable to study. In the text, it also says,"Astronomers are fascinated by Venus because it may well once have been the most Earth-like planet in our solar system. Long ago, Venus was probabnly covered largely with oceans and could have supported various forms of life, just like Earth. Today, Venus still has some features that are analogous to those on Earth. The planet has a surface of rocky sediment and includes familiar features such as valleys, mountains, and craters." All of these characteristics of Venus make the planet more interesting and reasonable for studying. Considering the fact that the planet is very similar to Earth, the planet may also give us insight of our own planet, with the similarities that can and have already been drawn.

Secondly, Venus is the nearest option for a planetary visit. In the text, it says, "Furthermore, recall that Venus can sometimes be our nearest option for a planetary visit, a crucial consideration given the long time frames of space travel." This clearly proves that studying Venus is worth the pursuit because it is not going to take as long as other planets will to get to. Traveling in space, as the author said, can take a very long time, and that makes Venus a lot more accessible than most other planets. Studying Venus cuts down a major barrier that scientists and astronomers would have to work around for many other planets, and that is time.

Lastly, NASA has a solution to make studying Venus safe. In the text, it says, "NASA's possible solution to the hostile conditions on the surface of Venus would allow scientists to float above the fray...At thirty-plus miles above the surface, temperatures would still be toasty at around 170 degrees Fahrenheit, but the air pressure would be close to that of sea level on Earth. Solar power would be plentiful, and radiation would not exceed Earth levels. Not easy conditions, but survivable for humans." NASA's solution solves many problems with studying Venus. The many factors like air pressure, heat, and radiation are lowered to survivable numbers for humans. Without this solution from NASA, the conditions of Venus are not survivable for a time period long enough to actually gain any information about the planet. In the text, it also explains that scientists and researchers would need to get up closer in order to actually gain insight about the planet. Although this is true, NASA is working on other solutions like simplified electronics made of silicon carbide that can last for up to three weeks in the conditions of Venus. All of these solutions can help to make studying Venus less risky and dangerous, and therefore worth the risk.

In conclusion, studying Venus provides a true challenge to scientists, researchers, and more. The author of "The Challenge of Exploring Venus" provides evidence to researchers and scientists that studying Venus is a worthy pursuit despite the dangers because Venus is or was very similar to Earth. The author also says that Venus is accessible because of it's distance from Earth and the time it would take to reach it. The author also provides NASA's solutions to the dangers of studying Venus. The advantages of studying Venus have been proven, but much must be done before any up close studying will occur.