Mars One - Human settlement of Mars in 2023

[Unorthodox]

They can breathe the air.  And strictly speaking you can live in Antarctica without much technology.  Explorers have criss-crossed the continent over a century or so.  You certainly need logistical supply, but the very air you breathe doesn't kill you.  In short, they do not need "total engineering reliability" at all.

All the air those floating settlements would ever need can be found in the Venusian atmosphere. Certainly at the altitudes those settlements have to float anyway because of the temperature. considerations.

I assume it's easier or takes less energy  to send a payload towards the sun than away from it with proper planning.

Not so. If it takes energy to climb up out of the sun's gravitational well, it also takes energy to stop yourself from slipping too far down the well.

Isn't the Venusian atmosphere more evenly layered, making aerobreaking in it safer then for instance Mars' atmosphere?

I don't know that safer is the term I'd use considering the atmosphere, but more effective, sure. 

To answer the overall question, it would be slightly 'cheaper', fuel wise, to hit Venus orbit, but not because it's closer to the sun, just due to the maths on the Hohman transfer are more favorable.  To hit and 'land'/maintain an altitude roughly 30 miles above Venus, though?   That's a good question. 

[Buster's Uncle]

One would assume Venus never being as far away would have something to do with it.

[Unorthodox]

In this particular instance, that holds, but as a general rule, you can't simply measure distance to calculate costs when the two targets are in opposing directions. 

[Unorthodox]

In fact, it might be more expensive for a round trip to Venus...

It certainly would be from the surface, but it might be from orbit, even. 

[Geo]

In fact, it might be more expensive for a round trip to Venus...

It certainly would be from the surface, but it might be from orbit, even.

No energy transfer to a departing vessel due to the long Venisian 'day'?

[Unorthodox]

Not sure how this will post...

But, yes, without the free aerobraking at Venus making the one way trip cheaper, a round trip is actually more expensive. 

[Lorizael]

Very neat.

Just because I'm curious and have no idea, Uno, where does your rocketry/orbital mechanics expertise come from?

[bvanevery]

That chart is just like the London Underground!  "Mind the gap."

[Unorthodox]

Just because I'm curious and have no idea, Uno, where does your rocketry/orbital mechanics expertise come from?

Mostly just conversations with the people who went to school and have the papers to prove it, but 20 years worth of those conversations. 

My complete lack of formal education coupled with knowledge of the system and aptitude for orbital mechanics tends to shock a lot of folks.

It's always interesting to see the new engineers switch from talking down to me to asking me for my opinion. 

[Buster's Uncle]

He's a rocket engineer for a living - or used to be; sounds like he's been getting stuck with administration more and more of late.

[Unorthodox]

Never been an engineer, they don't get dirty enough. 

[Lorizael]

Just because I'm curious and have no idea, Uno, where does your rocketry/orbital mechanics expertise come from?

Mostly just conversations with the people who went to school and have the papers to prove it, but 20 years worth of those conversations. 

My complete lack of formal education coupled with knowledge of the system and aptitude for orbital mechanics tends to shock a lot of folks.

It's always interesting to see the new engineers switch from talking down to me to asking me for my opinion.

That sure beats my... I have a decent undergrad physics/astro education.

[Unorthodox]

I got great respect for people that can learn through the formal education process. 

I'm lucky to have had a couple engineers in particular that recognized I wasn't just another schlubb and took it upon themselves to teach me.  After that I knew enough to earn respect from most others. 

[Geo]

When reading this, I had to think back to the time a couple engineering students couldn't figure out how to reset the fuseboard in their student house.

[Unorthodox]

When reading this, I had to think back to the time a couple engineering students couldn't figure out how to reset the fuseboard in their student house.

Oh, to be sure, many of the engineers I know are so busy looking at their chosen knothole they don't even know the forest exists, but man, do they tend to know that knothole.