text: One way that the author of "The Challenge of Exploring Venus" supports their claim is by explaining the sheer value and benefit of going to Venus. While it is true that several conditions on Venus' surface are inhospitable and unable to support or sustain human life, the author claims that "astronomers are fascniated by Venus because it may well once have been the most Earth-like planet in our solar system," (para 4). This might lead to discoveries that could help us understand or predict Earth's future evolution patterns. Besides this, Venus is at times the closest planet to Earth as "Earth, Venus and Mars, our other planetary neighbor, orbit the sun at different speeds. These differences in speed mean that sometimes we are closer to Mars and other times to Venus," (2). This could be extremely beneficial to both the inhabitants of earth and for future space travel because Venus will sometimes be our "nearest option for a planetary visit, a crucial consideration given the long time frames of space travel," (4). All of these statements and claims that the author make support his/her claim that the exploration of Venus is a worthy pursuit despite the dangers it entails as they are quite literally explaining to their readers why exploration is as important as it is. This tactic has the ability to make audiences aware of the importance of such a mission, and hopefully persuade them to agree.