Originally Posted by Occam's Shaving Cream

I know this thread is about terraforming, but would a sheltered dome be a better solution for colonisation? Lets say you bring all the materials from Earth, air-drop them on Venus and have robots (that can withstand the heat and pressure) assemble it on the surface. People can them come down in ships/special shuttles to dock with the base without exposing themselves to the atmosphere.

Would that be possible or am I underestimating the conditions?

Quick question here: I just read that Venus has a pressure of 90 Earth atmospheres. Will ships ever be able to take off after landing on Venus? Does a dense atmosphere means it behaves more like water (providing better lift when gaining altitude, like manouvering in water) or is it going to create so much downward force that your ship is stuck on that planet?