Colonization of the outer solar system: Encyclopedia - Colonization of the outer solar system

Colonization of the outer solar system

Some of the moons of the outer planets of the solar system are large enough to be suitable places for colonization. Many of the larger moons contain water ice, liquid water, and organic compounds that might be useful for rocket fuel production among other things. Colonies in the outer solar system could also serve as centres for long term investigation of the planet and the other moons. In particular, robotic devices could be controlled by humans without the very long time delays needed to communicate with Earth. There have also been proposals to place robotic aerostats in the upper atmospheres of the gas giant planets for exploration and possibly mining of helium-3, which could have a very high value per unit mass as a thermonuclear fuel.

Colonization of the outer solar system - Asteroids

Colonization of the outer solar system - Ceres

Ceres is one of the largest (and first) Asteroids discovered and orbits within the main Asteroid Belt. It is thought that a large percentage of the mantle of the planetoid is actually water ice [1] and it may in fact hold more water than the earth, as much as 200 million cubic kilometers. This huge reserve of water could easily be split into oxygen for air production a base and hydrogen for rocket fuel as well as powering fusion reactors in the future. Ceres would make a logical location for research and industrial production base because of the low gravity, access to possible ore bearing asteroids, ready supply of oxygen and hydrogen (for fuel).

Colonization of the outer solar system - Jupiter

Colonization of the outer solar system - Europa

The Artemis Project designed a plan to colonize Europa. Scientists were to inhabit igloos and drill down into the Europan ice crust, exploring any sub-surface ocean. It also discusses use of "air pockets" for human inhabitation. This Europa surface base would also make use of inflatable structures. Exploration of Europa and its subglacial ocean would be carried out with submarines.

There are some difficulties related to colonization of Europa; one significant problem is a high level of radiation from Jupiter's radiation belt, which is approximately 10 times as strong as Earth's Van Allen radiation belts. A human being would not survive at or near the surface of Europa for long without very large scale radiation shielding.

Colonization of the outer solar system - Ganymede

In a remote future, the Jovian moon Ganymede is a probable place for the installation of a base - the Base Ganymede, as it is the largest moon in the Solar System; Ganymede is also the only moon with a magnetosphere.

Colonization of the outer solar system - Callisto

NASA performed a study called HOPE (Revolutionary Concepts for Human Outer Planet Exploration) regarding the future exploration of the solar system. The target chosen was Callisto. It could be possible to build a surface base that would produce fuel for further exploration of the solar system. Since it is outside of Jupiter's radiation belt and also geologically very stable, it could prove to be a suitable place for a base. This base would also be a centre for exploration of the Jupiter system, for example remote exploration of Europa.

Colonization of the outer solar system - Saturn

Colonization of the outer solar system - Titan

No solid plans or studies have been made regarding manned missions to Titan, or colonization of that world, at least not outside of science fiction. One exception is a chapter in Entering Space by Robert Zubrin who speculated how humans could cope in and exploit the Titanian environment. The relative lack of solid research is probably not surprising given our limited understanding of Titan. It seems that the surface of Titan is very young and active, and contains large amounts of water ice and perhaps oceans and canals of liquid organic compounds. It should be able to support a base, but more information regarding Titan's surface and the activities on it is necessary. The thick atmosphere and the weather are also factors to consider.

Colonization of the outer solar system - Uranus

Because Uranus has the lowest escape velocity of the four gas giants, it has been proposed as a mining site for helium-3. If human supervision of the robotic activity proved necessary, one of Uranus' natural satellites might serve as a base. An alternative is to place floating cities in its atmosphere. By heating hydrogen balloons, or filling them with lighter gases, large masses can be suspended underneath at roughly Earth gravity. Other gas giants could be suitable, but Jupiter would not due to its high gravity, escape velocity and radiation.

Colonization of the outer solar system - Neptune

Neptue and its satellites could also be used for colonization, but are farther away, and Neptune has a higher surface gravity than uranus. Its satellites, especially triton, could also be colonized.

Colonization of the outer solar system - Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud

It is thought that several trillion comets or iceteroids exist outside the orbit of Uranus. These may harbour all the ingredients for life (water ice and organic compounds) including large amounts of helium-3. Colonies sent to these far flung worldlets could build rotating habitats or live in dug-out spaces and light them with fusion reactors for thousands or millions of years before moving on. It is invisaged that over the eons humanity could migrate to neighbouring star systems, which may have similar clouds, without the need for large interstellar starships.

See also

• Colonization of the Moon
• Colonization of Mars
• Space colonization
• floating cities

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Colonization of the outer solar system", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki