- IN THE AIR
If humans ever make it
to Venus, they will likely
have trouble landing on its
volcanic surface, shrouded
in clouds that rain sulfuric
acid and bake the crust
to some 880°F. Instead,
visitors might one day
float above the ground in
the solar-powered cloud
cities NASA has envisioned
for the hypothetical High
Altitude Venus Operational
Concept (HAVOC) mission.
At that higher altitude,
temperatures and other
conditions would be less
hostile. For the sensation of
a vacation to Venus, head
to Cappadocia, Turkey,
where the alien-looking
landscape of fantastical
rock formations is best
seen from above, on a
hot-air balloon tour. In
New Mexico, check out
the mass ascension at the
Albuquerque International
Balloon Fiesta, where
more than 500 colorful
flyers launch in a rapid-fire
spectacle. This premier
ballooning event lasts for
nine days in October.EXPLORE MORE
Space Center Houston
Houston, Texas
Tour the NASA Mission
Control Center that
monitored the moon
landing, and in this sum-
mer’s “Journey to Space”
exhibit, enter a replica of
the International Space
Station. spacecenter.orgPLACES WE LOVE
CAPPADOCIA
NATGEOTRAVEL.COM