Venus is the second planet in our solar system, and despite how close it is to Earth, is largely unexplored. The reason why its been untouched for around 30 years is that Venus is too hot and has too much atmospheric pressure, which would crush and melt any spacecraft on its surface. Another reason is that there are clouds of corrosive sulfuric acid. However, NASA is working on ways to study Venus more safely.

In the passage, the author talks about why astronomers are facinated with Venus. They talk about how how the astronomers think that Venus used to be more Earth-like than it is today, with its valleys, mountains, and craters, in paragraph 4. Though in pragraph 3, the challenges presented by trying to study Venus more closley have more negatives than positives. One of the biggest problems in that Venus has the hottest surface temperature of the planets in the solar system, despite that Mercury is closer to the sun than Venus. Another problem being faced is the immense atmospheric pressure, which is around 90 times greater than Earth's.

The author also talks about how NASA is trying to find ways to counteract these problems. One example that they give, in paragraph 7, is that simple electronics made of silicon carbide have been tested in a chamber that closley emulates the surface conditions of Venus. NASA has found that the technology lasted three weeks under those conditions. Another way that NASA is trying to solve the problems of Venu's surface is by using old, mechanical computers, which don't use the same kind of technology as regular, modern computers, but gears and levers instead.

In conclusion, putting a spacecraft on the surface of Venus may be a possibility in the future, or we may never find a way to keep a spacecraft on the surface for more than a few weeks at a time, which is cost ineffective. But as the author says in paragraph 8, "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."