text: According to the author of ¨The Challenge of Exploring Venus¨, astronomers are facinated by Venus because at one point in time, it was probably the most similar planet to Earth. Scientist believe that Venus was once covered by large oceans that could have supported numerous life forms remensient to Earth. From the information we have gathered, Venus has similar surface features to Earth, such as valleys, craters, and mountians. The questions futher about future missions to Venus- how can astronomers construct a plan that will safely bring humans back home while receving worthy information?