Can UV Light be the Key to Changing Venus' Atmosphere?

[Niamut]

I thought a bit about the prospect of terraforming other worlds starting with the ones closest to us, Mars and Venus.
Personally even though I don't mind the hype over Mars, I prefer thinking of Venus as the main target for terraforming.
it's just a lot more tempting.
for example:
It's surface area is 0.902 of Earth's
unlike Mars which has only 0.284 of Earth’s surface area,
It has an atmosphere
unlike Mars which practically has none,
it's closer to the sun and has a lower divergence from a perfect circular path than earth
allowing solar energy to be used as a constant and viable source of energy
(overall it gets about 240 times more solar energy than mars!),
and most importantly it's average distance from the Earth is 10 times lower than the average distance between the Earth and Mars making travel time and frequency between Earth and Venus much better.

The main problem with Venus however is that it's atmosphere is extremely dense and filled with carbon dioxide, making the surface temperature of the planet reach temperatures hot enough to melt lead.

The main method proposed to deal with this problem is avoiding the surface altogether and live in the sky using the dense atmosphere to raise entire cities.
It appeared to me that the main method should be to change the atmosphere and not accept it, and when I researched it I found out that the most viable solution to do this was to import hydrogen from the rest of the solar system and transfer it to Venus, relaying on the Bosch reaction to get rid of the carbon dioxide and create water instead.
the problem with this solution is that it will take an herculean effort and a vast amount of time to accomplish.

I thought that it was hopeless but then came by this
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/sc...ioxide-into-oxygen-by-zapping-it-with-a-laser
it turns out that there is a way, using only concentrated uv light, to turn CO2 into c+o2 !

the best method to do change venus atmosphere as quickly as possible using this technique is to use some sort of machine that is almost 100% made from carbon to turn either heat or solar energy to intense uv light and use the resulting carbon to expand it or make copies of it.
assuming most of the atmosphere would be turned to c+o2, the atmospheric pressure would still stay high but humans and machines coming to Venus would only need to bring hydrogen with them (the lightest element) to get more energy with the 2H+O = H2O+energy reaction, and create water in the process. the hydrogen could be brought in a modest pace, but in the mean time vast amounts of land could be explored and built upon without the scorching heat in the way.

I know it's sounds like science fiction (because it's is) but never the less I tried to find some material that is made almost entirely out of carbon and can emit uv light in respone to some sort of energy input, but failed, so I'm addressing you guys.

anyone know wuch a material?

 

[Bystander]

carbon and can emit uv light

You might try diamond.
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110715/full/news.2011.421.html

 

[Chuck Keranen]

My only input would be that the Soviets supposedly sent a probe there and there was a corrosive element to the atmosphere...
Could Venus be a good base for an orbiting launch platform to slingshot probes / spacecraft around the Sun for added velocity?

 

[mfb]

Velocities for interplanetary spacecraft s are relative to the sun. You cannot use the stationary sun to add velocity. You could try to use the Oberth effect (burn fuel while being close to the sun), but that is less effective than gravity assists at planets.

 

[Rubidium_71]

I always considered the 243 day Venusian day to be a little inconvenient for human surface colonization. That would make for one long work day! :)

 

[Niamut]

Velocities for interplanetary spacecraft s are relative to the sun. You cannot use the stationary sun to add velocity. You could try to use the Oberth effect (burn fuel while being close to the sun), but that is less effective than gravity assists at planets.

I think you misunderstood me
I talked about how venus is closer to the sun than Mars to conclude that it gets more solar power
and I talked about how venus is closer to the Earth than Mars to conclude that travel time and frequency could be reduced significantly

I always considered the 243 day Venusian day to be a little inconvenient for human surface colonization. That would make for one long work day! :)

I actually see it as an advantage,
it would force us to come up with intersting solution.
imagine if instead of the sun and the rotation of the planet dictating our days we could cover our planet with space mirrors that will either block or reflect the sun such that the hour of the day will be the same for everybody.

 

[mfb]

My post was in reply to Chuck Keranen (directly above my post).

The long days and nights are not such a large issue with artificial light and intransparent materials.