On Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at 11:32:01 PM UTC-4, wrote:

"Dale Arney and Chris Jones, from the Space Mission Analysis Branch of NASA’s
Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate at Langley Research Center, in
Virginia, have been exploring that idea. Perhaps humans could ride through the
upper atmosphere of Venus in a solar-powered airship. Arney and Jones propose
that it may make sense to go to Venus before we ever send humans to Mars.

If that airship sprung a leak, what would be their backup plan?

They would literally descend into the pits of Hell.