Venus, with its dense clouds and unexplored mystery, has always fascinated astronomers. But for Guillermo Söhnlein it's not just a distant celestial body. It's a vision, a dream, a challenge. The Co-founder of the now infamous Oceangate, Söhnlein is a man who is not discouraged by adversity. He crazy like the pioneers, at the cost of his life.
Il Titan disaster, born Years ago and the son of enormous mistakes, he took away his partner, but not his ambitions (and/or the need to relaunch them to deal with debts and legal problems, but that's another story). Söhnlein sees Venus not as a hostile planet, but as a new frontier, ready to welcome a floating colony of a thousand people by 2050. Boom. Let's see'.
The dream (or madness?) beyond the tragedy
The tragedy of the Titan, I said, shook the world but a Guillermo Söhnlein it only strengthened the resolve (or desperation). Where many might see the incident as a sign to slow down or abandon adventurist ambitions, Söhnlein sees an opportunity. A chance to learn, to improve. To move forward. This possibility, if possible even crazier than the one encountered with OceanGate, is called Humans2Venus. Yes, it's as absurd as the name suggests.
Humans2Venus is not alone a foundation; it is the manifestation of a dream. Founded by Söhnlein, it aims to explore Venus as a potential foothold for humanity. But why Venus? The answer lies in its resemblance to Earth. Often referred to as Earth's "sister planet", Venus however offers very hostile conditions. Conditions that for the former OceanGate could be overcome with the right technology and innovation.
As? By creating "colonies" capable of staying 50km above the surface of Venus. There, says Söhnlein, the gravity is practically identical to that of Earth, and so are the temperature, pressure and radiation coverage.
Beyond OceanGate and beyond the stars, again and again
This isn't the first time Söhnlein has set his sights on the stars. As a child, he dreamed of commanding the first human community on Mars. And apparently, the OceanGate experience represented only a first (false) step. Underwater exploration was seen as a stepping stone, a way to experience the challenges of exploration in a hostile environment.
Söhnlein is neither a scientist nor an engineer, but he has unconditional faith in the ability of both. He strongly believes that with the right combination of engineering and vision, the challenges of Venus can be overcome. Dreamer, madman or pioneer, just like his friend Stockton Rush.
A universe of possibilities
It's not just Söhnlein looking to the stars, as you know. You know all the plans of Elon Musk, the current owner of Twit… Ahem of “X”, which he founded SpaceX with the aim of colonizing Mars. Is it a competition to see who can shoot it the loudest, or who will make history? Two follies, one goal: expanding the boundaries of humanity.
Where many see distant and inaccessible stars, visionaries like these see opportunities. Venus and Mars may not be rivals, but stops on a single space journey. Let's get ready for a future full of surprises: some painful, some incredible.
We are humans after all, aren't we?
