We chose to explore one of Jupiter’s natural satellites, or moons, named Callisto. Callisto is about the same size as the planet Mercury, and is the third largest moon in our solar system after Ganymede and Titan. It’s also the second largest moon orbiting Jupiter. While all these facts are interesting, there’s only one fact that will help us to explore this moon that was thought to be long dead. That fact is that this moon has an ocean underneath it’s surface. Scientists believe that there is an underlying ocean, frozen beneath Callisto’s outer layers. Callisto is one of the three moons orbiting Jupiter that are believed to have ice within its surface. The others are Europa and Ganymede. This ice is mostly water, so if we could melt it, that would help humans live. However, scientists also believe that there is carbon dioxide ice on the moon. That could be used in enhancing the very thin atmosphere with oxygen, which would make breathable conditions on the moon. Another important thing about this

What Colonization Would Look Like

moon is that it’s further away from Jupiter’s main radiation belt, unlike Europa or Ganymede. That makes it one of the safer moons to explore in the outer areas of our solar system. It also isn’t affected by the gravitational pull of Jupiter’s other moons. This makes it much safer because it isn’t subject to tidal heating. Tidal heating is a build up of friction which can cause the moon’s inner core to heat up. This happens on Europa, for example. All these elements make Callisto a moon that is entirely possible to explore.

    Many people believe that the Earth is headed toward a state of crisis. The Earth is becoming too hot and will eventually become too small to live on, due to overpopulation. We will eventually be forced to colonize space. Colonizing any planet or moon gives the human species more places to live and an escape in the event that we need one. If we colonize Callisto, one of the Galilean moons, we have more space, about the size of Mercury. Also, Callisto has the possibility of an ocean beneath its surface, which could provide us water and eventually areas to grow crops, creating more food. Though Greenhouse Gases are harmful to the Earth’s environment, they would be beneficial to Callisto, due to its thin atmosphere, which gives us areas to manufacture products without the harmful side effects. Living on Callisto could also decrease the population on Earth, making it easier to live on Earth, resulting in a cleaner, better planet. Another benefit we would have to explore Callisto is that we could gain new knowledge. Living on Callisto brings us on the other side of the asteroid belt, meaning we could see a whole other side to the solar system. We would be able to look at Jupiter, Saturn and other planets and moons more closely, which could benefit man’s natural curiosity. As you can see, colonizing Callisto, one of Jupiter’s moons, would be beneficial towards society.

    Before pursuing a topic of interest, we always weigh the benefits and losses. Will this help us? How will this help us? Does this offer something that would help us in the future? All these aspects are considered before major action is taken. If we were to apply these questions to space exploration, specifically exploration on Callisto, what reaction would occur? First and foremost, Callisto is a solid mass of land. If we were to theoretically terraform the planet into a habitable location, we may attain some control over our exponentially increasing population. Not only that but there is lots to learn from Calisto. When have come a long way since we first discovered this moon. In the beginning, we believed it to purely be a rocky chunk of mass. However as technology evolved and space exploration became commonplace, we discovered an ocean under the crust, something that was thought to be improbable. This goes to show that things are not always what they seem to be. Secondly, Callisto can be used as a hub to explore other moons in the Jupiter junction. After optimal colonization, Callisto would also be used to explore from a checkpoint, instead of going straight from Earth. Finally, this small moon would theoretically bolster our economy. Thriving in a newfound environment is definitely a bold endeavor, however logically speaking, this creates many business opportunities for corporations and companies. Therefore, progression (of the colony) would increase our economy some way or another.