Exsilium

Thanks much Shadowwalker for that idea.

I understand. Thank you. I like this idea better not only because it is simpler, but it speaks of the tough, intelligent "bare-handed" resourcefulness needed when pioneering new frontiers. Well, then this leads me to another question that hopefully you can provide some insight on: If I have humankind establish subsurface colonies on Ganymede - a moon with an iced over rocky crust, a possibly differentiated frozen water and silicate mantle and an iron covered molten core - what will the design and composition of the habitat structures need to be in such an environment? Should structures be established in the crust? The mantle? How might the mantle be used as a resource to sustain human life? Again, thanks for your responses. Okay, so none of the lunar bodies, or planets for that matter, have the mass necessary to be potentially converted into self-sustaining fusion reactors. Now, what do you think about artificial suns? What would we need in terms of a mechanized device that could generate controlled amounts of heat to warm up, let's say, the surface of Mars? Also, if I understand this correctly, the amount of mass within an object determines the amount of gravitational force upon that object. And the greater the gravitational force upon a planetary object, the more likely it can hold an atmosphere. If I am correct so far, Mars is unable to hold an atmopshere like Earth because it is less dense than Earth. So my question is what could be done to artificially increase the density of a planet? If we were able to achieve such a feat, how might that affect other planets and moons? Thanks for your ideas.

Hello all, I serendipitously found this science community while searching for info about Jupiter's largest moon, Ganymede. I am a sci-fi writer and I am hoping to learn much from this intellectual community and hopefully offer constructive ideas for your edification, as well. In my current novel, Ganymede has an industrial colony established upon it. I have researched the potential of terra-forming Ganymede and have found complications that will require imaginative solutions - possibly the suspension of some of the laws of physics and thermodynamics. However, in spite of that, as much as I can, I want my speculative fiction to be based on as much sound or innovative theory as possible. So, here are my questions: If we had the technology, would it make sense to convert a local lunar body into a burning sun to heat another nearby moon, such as Io becoming a sun to heat nearby moons, Ganymede, Calisto and Europa? If so what technology is needed to create such a dramatic transformation? What laws of physics and/or thermodynamics might this process involve? If it does not make any sense, then what technology might be needed to create a type of controllable artificial sun around Ganymede? What materials would be needed to create an artifical sun out of cosmic substances? I am also open to any terra-forming ideas anyone would like to share. Thanks for taking the time to read my post and any constructive responses are more than welcome.