I had some ideas about collecting hydrogen along Venus' orbit, very high up. Then I wondered about moving ionic oxygen, from low orbit, to higher orbits. Let's adjust the atmo-skimming model so not to interface with the Lightcraft. This is like the Molniya-to-Mars (pdf) except I'm feeding upward not downward.
If Venus thick-ish atmo starts altitude ~100 km (pericytheree 6150 km). That is normally the "aerobraking" altitude. However - this craft isn't here to brake so much as to scoop. The act of scooping will brake the craft, of course, lowering its semimajor therefore apocytheree. It now has a canister of somewhat pressurised hot gas to show for it, maybe at 100 Mpa like Earth. At its new more-circular and lower orbit, it ionises the gas and blows that up the well with the other ions.
This setup keeps all human activity above Venus in case we haven't floated aerostats yet. Which lack, Casey last April assumed.
This increases the oxygen available in (low-)orbit, and adds nitrogen and maybe even some carbon (monoxide). Supposedly. It seems rickety to me given that the Sun is already blowing gas into low-orbit. I conclude: silly, so superfluous ... for shifting propellant. Directly. The full orbital ring is better... when we get there.
REWRITE 12/15
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