Guillermo Söhnlein says he's confident he'll be able to do it safely and cost-effectively.

The 58-year-old made the revelation in a blog post, where he argued that while Venus is uninhabitable, people would live in floating cities, 50km above the planet's surface (which is around 864 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius).

Söhnlein believes that the challenges associated with inhabiting Venus, such as carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid clouds, "can be overcome with breathing apparatus and acid-resistant materials."

Taking to his blog, the Argentinian-born Oceangate co-founder wrote: "We could embark on our Venusian journey TODAY... and do it safely and cost-effectively.

"The reality is that Venus is much closer to Earth and has a much more similar orbit, which makes it much more accessible than Mars (lower cost, more frequent flight windows, shorter transit times, higher safety, etc.).

"Also, we don't have to worry about conducting successful landings on the planet's surface, which is one of the biggest challenges awaiting us on Mars.

"If anything, one could argue that sending humans to Venus BEFORE sending them to Mars might be a better way to safely develop the capabilities to create a Martian community."

Söhnlein is hoping to encourage a cohort of scientists, explorers and private investors to join forces and bring to life his dream of reaching Venus, despite humans never physically travelling further than the moon.

"It is aspirational, but I think it's also very doable by 2050," Söhnlein says.