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Some of the moons of the outer planets of the solar system are large enough to be suitable places for colonization. Even small moons could be dug out to create habitats or be provided with artificial gravity for retaining an atmosphere. They are not big, but they are many. Many of the larger moons contain water ice, liquid water, and organic compounds that might be useful for sustaining human life. Colonies in the outer solar system could also serve as centers 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.

The Jovian System

The Jovian system in general poses particular disadvantages for colonizing because of its severe radiation environment and its particularly deep gravity well. Its radiation would deliver about 3,600 rems per day to unshielded colonists at Io and about 540 rems per day to unshielded colonists at Europa. Exposure of approximately 75 rems over a period of a few days is enough to cause radiation poisoning, and about 500 rems over a few days is fatal. Dug out colonies under meters of rock and ice would not have this problem. Artificial magnetic fields could be used for protection from radiation too.

The Saturnian System

Robert Zubrin identified Saturn, Uranus and Neptune as "the Persian Gulf of the solar system", as the largest sources of deuterium and helium-3 to drive the pending fusion economy, with Saturn the most important and most valuable of the three, because of its relative proximity, low radiation, and excellent system of moons.

Titan

Robert Zubrin identified Titan as possessing an abundance of all the elements necessary to support life, making Titan perhaps the most advantageous locale in the outer Solar System for colonization, and saying "In certain ways, Titan is the most hospitable extraterrestrial world within our solar system for human colonization." The surface of Titan is mostly uncratered and thus inferred to be very young and active, and probably composed of mostly water ice, and lakes of liquid hydrocarbons (methane/ethane) in its polar regions. While the temperature is cryogenic (95 K) 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, such as potential flash floods, are also factors to consider.

Enceladus

On March 9th, 2006, NASA's Cassini space probe found possible evidence of liquid water on Enceladus. According to that article, "pockets of liquid water may be no more than tens of meters below the surface." If these findings are confirmed, it would mean liquid water could be collected much more easily on Enceladus than on, for instance, Jupiter's moon Europa. Discovery of water, especially liquid water, generally improves a celestial body's consideration for colonization dramatically. An alternative model of Enceladus' activity is the decomposition of methane/water clathrates - a process requiring lower temperatures than liquid water eruptions. The relatively higher density of Enceladus indicates a larger than Saturnian average silicate core that should provide materials for base operations. For the sake of preserving potential ecosystems, Humans should contend with using frozen water resources for their own needs. The vastness of space, and thus non-scarcity of "vacant lots" would howewer make humans non-greedy, so cosmic law inforcement is neither necessary nor possible nor desirable.


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 using balloons filled with hydrogen, large masses can be suspended underneath at roughly Earth gravity. Saturn and Neptune could be suitable as well, but Jupiter would likely not be, due to its high gravity, escape velocity, and radiation.

Neptune

Neptune 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. Triton's surface shows signs of extensive geological activity implying a sub-surface ocean, perhaps of ammonia/water. Tapping such geothermal energy would make colonizing a cryogenic world like Triton feasible, supplemented by nuclear fusion power. Tritons unstable surface could be a problem for colonists. Too bad Triton almost certainly have no indigenous people that Human colonists could ask for advice about how to avoid the tectonic disasters!

Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud

The noted physicist Freeman Dyson identified comets, rather than planets, as the major potential habitat of life in space. Artificial gravity colonies are theoretically possible, but here the temperatures would probably outdo their benefits.

Challenges

There are various difficulties in colonizing the outer solar system. They include:

  • Distance from Earth: The outer planets are much further from Earth than inner planets, and would therefore be harder and more time-consuming to reach. BTC travel would be a solution.
  • Planetary conditions: The outer planets have no surface to land on, so any habitation would have to use floating colonies, increasing complexity and decreasing reliability. The moons/comets do not have this problem, although some have specific problems (ie., Europa is in Jupiter's intense radiation bands). Digging out mini-moons would be one solution, shielding out radiatin.
  • Power: Solar power is generally considered unsuitable because of the large distance from the sun. Nuclear power is believed to be the only suitable power source for the colonies. Vacuum energy is another possibility. And even without vacuum energy, there are LOTS of hydrogen to make fusion of!
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