High Altitude Venus Operational Concept

However, Venus has advantages for crewed travel, such as being closer than Mars, an Earth-like gravity (0.9 g) and an atmosphere that provides a level of protection from solar and interstellar radiation.

With the addition of the reduced deep space exposure time, the radiation levels anticipated by astronauts are much less than an equivalent Mars mission.

[4] As Arney and Jones published their work as technical papers the general public caught wind of the program and the pair frequently did news interviews on the development status.

[4] However, NASA would go on to state that HAVOC was never a "true mission for human exploration of Venus" instead being intended as an internal study to develop analysis skills and the project never saw additional funding and would be canceled by 2017.

[4] Despite this, some of the technologies the team conceptualized would need to be created for HAVOC's success would go on to be developed for potential Moon and Mars missions.

Once inflated, the crew would live in the airship for a period equivalent to thirty Earth days, before detaching and ascending in the Venus Ascent Vehicle.