The author supports the idea that studying Venus is a worthy pursuit despite the dangers it presents very well. He used many ideas to support his claim including what others think, facts, and his own thoughts.

The text states "while Venus is simple to see from the distant but safe vantage point of Earth, it has proved a very challenging place to examine more closely (p1)," pointing out the challenge of exploring Venus. The author also states "humans have sent numerous spacecraft to land on this cloud-draped world. Each previous mission was unmanned, and for good reason, since no spacecraft survived the landing for more than a few hours. Maybe this issue explains why not a single spaceship has touched down on Venus in more than three decades. Numerous factors contribute to Venus's reputation as a challenging planet for humans to study, despite its proximity to us (p2)," telling us how dangerous Venus is. He also states "a thick atmosphere of almost 97 percent carbon dioxide blankets Venus. Even more challenging are the clouds of highly corrosive sulfuric acid in Venus's atmosphere. On the planet's surface, temperatures average over 800 degrees Farenheit, and the atmospheric pressure is 90 times greater than what we experience on our own planet. These conditions are far more extreme than anything humans encounter on Earth; such an environment would crush even a submarine accustomed to diving to the deepest parts of our oceans and would liquefy many metals. Also notable, Venus has the hottest surface temperature of any planet in our solar system, even though Mercury is closer to our sun. Beyond high pressure and heat, Venusian geology and weather present additional impediments like erupting volcanoes, powerful earthquakes, and frequent lightning strikes to probes seeking to land on its surface (p3)," pointing out the dangerous gases, pressure, temperature, and natural disasters of Venus.

"If our sister planet is so inhospitable, why are scientists even discussing further visits to its surface (p4)?" The author states "often referred to as Earth's "twin," Venus is the closest planet to Earth in terms of density and size, and occasionally the closest in distance too (p2)," meaning that Venus would be the fastest planet to travel to. He also said "astronomers are fascinated by Venus because it may well once have been the most Earth-like planet in our solar system (p4)," meaning it could truly be a future habitat for the living - and may have been inhabited once. The author also said "long ago, Venus was probably 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 (p4)," suggesting that Venus may have truly been Earth's "twin." He also mentioned that NASA has a compelling idea for sending humans to study Venus in a blimp-like structure (p5), which could work. The text stated "striving to meet the challenge presented by Venus has value, not only because of the insight to be gained on the planet itself, but also because human curiosity will likely lead us into many equally intimidating endeavors. Our travels on Earth and beyond should not be limited by dangers and doubts but should be expanded to meet the very edges of imagination and innovation (p8)," suggesting that finding a way to safely allow humans to travel to Venus will not only help us learn more about the most dangerous planet, but also will lead us to more exciting and intimidating endeavors. Not only that, but traveling to Venus will make us no longer be limited by dangers and doubts, allowing us to expand our minds.

To sum everything up, the author did well with supporting his idea that studying Venus is a worthy pursuit despite the dangers. He mentioned many dangers that Venus has. He also mentioned possible solutions to the problems Venus throws at us and reasons why Venus is worth studying, using facts and thoughts as support for his claim.