New Stars are Born

Abstract

Another valuable target is at our ease. The two gas giants of the Solar System, Jupiter and Saturn, host their mini-systems of various-sized moons. Among these, the four Galilean moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto) and Titan are the largest. While all these moons can be settled, they do not have enough light and heat to allow terraformation. The way to change this is by helioforming the two gas giants. Turning Jupiter and Saturn into mini-stars would efficiently thaw the major moons, creating atmospheres, hydrospheres and landmasses needed for life seeding. Once triggered, the process might be even faster than on Mars. At the same time, some engineering effort is needed to correct the rotation rate of these tidally-locked worlds and ensure full human habitability.

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