Europa
Europa is the smallest of the four Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter, and the sixth-closest to the planet of all the 80 known moons of Jupiter. It is also the sixth-largest moon in the Solar System. Due to its youth and the liquid oceans beneath its ice crust, Europa is the smoothest object in the solar system and partially Terraformed. It is the richest and one of the most populace moon in the Celestial Connection due to its rich natural water, internal biosphere, and unique golden age era Radiation Reflectors.
Europa is a very urbanized world with large centralized cities build in holes in the ice that extend into the oceans below. Each city has its own leadership and then send it's representatives to the capitol of Zues' Band, in that way Europa is modeled on classical Federal Republic structures like those that dominate earths governments. Europa while not as rich in heavy industry, is arguably the second leading scientific capitol of the system forming an immense rivalry with Venus. Along with research and medical industries, they are also a leading producer in fish, real protein, and consumer goods.
The surface of Europa has a breathable oxygen atmosphere, though incredibly thin to those not use to it. Away from the cities and the warming heat of the Radiation Reflectors, the surface is cold to the point of deadliness, and often dangerously radioactive due to the energy output of Jupiter. This energy however is funneled into the said Reflectors which heat the ice and protect local metropolitan.
The people of Europa are famously multicultural and often sell themselves as paragons of liberal democracy and mixed economies, a sort of call back to the old days of the Earth Golden Age. However many say [Europans are deeply arrogant from years of being the heart of the CC and wielding undue power over its member states. Politically they are known to be the kingmakers of the CC, often tilting the scales in any decision.
The waters of Titan and The First Wave had lead to common place water breathing modifications. Though the need has died down, its still common as both part of their genetic code, and a mark of pride among the Europan people.
Europa is a very urbanized world with large centralized cities build in holes in the ice that extend into the oceans below. Each city has its own leadership and then send it's representatives to the capitol of Zues' Band, in that way Europa is modeled on classical Federal Republic structures like those that dominate earths governments. Europa while not as rich in heavy industry, is arguably the second leading scientific capitol of the system forming an immense rivalry with Venus. Along with research and medical industries, they are also a leading producer in fish, real protein, and consumer goods.
The surface of Europa has a breathable oxygen atmosphere, though incredibly thin to those not use to it. Away from the cities and the warming heat of the Radiation Reflectors, the surface is cold to the point of deadliness, and often dangerously radioactive due to the energy output of Jupiter. This energy however is funneled into the said Reflectors which heat the ice and protect local metropolitan.
The people of Europa are famously multicultural and often sell themselves as paragons of liberal democracy and mixed economies, a sort of call back to the old days of the Earth Golden Age. However many say [Europans are deeply arrogant from years of being the heart of the CC and wielding undue power over its member states. Politically they are known to be the kingmakers of the CC, often tilting the scales in any decision.
The waters of Titan and The First Wave had lead to common place water breathing modifications. Though the need has died down, its still common as both part of their genetic code, and a mark of pride among the Europan people.
Geography
The geography within is much more interesting. A flowing ocean brimming with sea life and high pressure ice flows. It is a sea with a blue ice surface, making light low to none before getting to the planets metal and rock core. There are many hidden caves of ice near the surface forming biomes of cold resistant life. It creates a world of frost and beauty that has been popular since before humans could walk on the surface.
- Mean radius 1560.8±0.5 km (0.245 Earths)
- Surface area 3.09×107 km2 (0.061 Earths)
- Volume 1.593×1010 km3 (0.015 Earths)
- Mass (4.799844±0.000013)×1022 kg (0.008 Earths)
- Mean density 3.013±0.005 g/cm3 (0.546 Earths)
- Surface gravity 1.314 m/s2 (0.134 g)
Ecosystem
Titan is one of the few worlds to have native life. Not just on the bacterial level, but a wide ranging of native Fauna and and Flora can be found in the oceans. Unbelievably resistant to cold and self sufficient, the biome runs on a radiation feeding semi-plants that work up the food chain. However, these creatures are poorly adapted to the higher temperatures around the radiation reflectors and cities. There life native to Earth flourishes, protected both from the cold and the radiation. Though many species struggle with the low gravity, others have flourished including massive penguins and the Europan Dolphin which grows to the bloated size of a whale.
Though these two biomes never interact as the waters they require involve absolutely different conditions, many biologists fear that the algae, fish, and aquatic life we introduce may one day adapt and become invasive species. However many note that it is a problem on a scale of millions of years and thus not worthy of wide concern compared to the commercial and research use of the earth based life.
Though unable to spread into the water, the Xenophage dominates the icey radioactive surface. They hide in tug ice tunnels while their part of Europa faces Jupiter and leave to hunt at their "Night". As such they are a danger to any surface life and human life that dares venture too far from the water.
Though these two biomes never interact as the waters they require involve absolutely different conditions, many biologists fear that the algae, fish, and aquatic life we introduce may one day adapt and become invasive species. However many note that it is a problem on a scale of millions of years and thus not worthy of wide concern compared to the commercial and research use of the earth based life.
Though unable to spread into the water, the Xenophage dominates the icey radioactive surface. They hide in tug ice tunnels while their part of Europa faces Jupiter and leave to hunt at their "Night". As such they are a danger to any surface life and human life that dares venture too far from the water.
History
Europa was always of interest to the United Earth Sphere and was one of the first Jovian moon colonized. It was the prime candidate for non-earth life, and the conformation of that ecosystem drove an immense research industry that never left the world. Though other words became more industrial to service the larger Terraformation projects, Europa was never that useful for heavy industry, instead fishing and water was and remains a popular export. Still it captured the imagination of earth and remained wildly popular for settlers. The dream of a Terraformed Europa, no matter how impractical, captured the laymen imagination even as scientist believed it neither possible nor useful, creating booms of population on Europa.
During the The First Wave europas population seemed likely to be a curse in the same way it was to Ganymede and Callisto, and in truth a vast amount of Xenophage Vessels did crash onto europa. However as the largest populations were all water bound and the Xenophage having difficulty with forming the needed means to navigate water, Europa was able to defend itself more easily especially by building down instead of wide. Leading to breathing water as a popular genetic alteration, permanently becoming the base template for human life on the moon.
As Europa and Io found some success, while Ganymede struggled and Callisto died, and the silence from earth became ever louder, Europa began to promote the idea of a Jupiter Compact. A pooling of all resources, military intelligence and structure. This helped turned things around in the orbit of Jupiter and remained Europa's pet project.
What was once seen as a curse, the immense focuses of the Xenophage on Europa, became a blessing when the geography made it easier to fight. The remains of alien vessels and technology throughout the moon became a rich boon to scientists of Europa, and lead to the CCs own unique brand of technology. None more important than the Gate Travel technology developed. This made travel between the Jupiter Compact worlds take hours instead of days, and made the idea of reconnecting to their sister moons of the outer system not just possible, but profitable.
Europa would lead the exploration of the outer system. First Saturn with Rhea an attractive foothold, building a gate allowed them to end the war over Saturn and reform the the Jupiter Compact into the the modern Celestial Connection. This would expand to include the moons of Uranus, Neptune and the planetoid of Pluto. Europa to this day has remained, while diplomatic and hesitant to create direct military conflict, an expansionist faction of the CC and made no secret they see the CC as the future of a more united humanity.
During the The First Wave europas population seemed likely to be a curse in the same way it was to Ganymede and Callisto, and in truth a vast amount of Xenophage Vessels did crash onto europa. However as the largest populations were all water bound and the Xenophage having difficulty with forming the needed means to navigate water, Europa was able to defend itself more easily especially by building down instead of wide. Leading to breathing water as a popular genetic alteration, permanently becoming the base template for human life on the moon.
As Europa and Io found some success, while Ganymede struggled and Callisto died, and the silence from earth became ever louder, Europa began to promote the idea of a Jupiter Compact. A pooling of all resources, military intelligence and structure. This helped turned things around in the orbit of Jupiter and remained Europa's pet project.
What was once seen as a curse, the immense focuses of the Xenophage on Europa, became a blessing when the geography made it easier to fight. The remains of alien vessels and technology throughout the moon became a rich boon to scientists of Europa, and lead to the CCs own unique brand of technology. None more important than the Gate Travel technology developed. This made travel between the Jupiter Compact worlds take hours instead of days, and made the idea of reconnecting to their sister moons of the outer system not just possible, but profitable.
Europa would lead the exploration of the outer system. First Saturn with Rhea an attractive foothold, building a gate allowed them to end the war over Saturn and reform the the Jupiter Compact into the the modern Celestial Connection. This would expand to include the moons of Uranus, Neptune and the planetoid of Pluto. Europa to this day has remained, while diplomatic and hesitant to create direct military conflict, an expansionist faction of the CC and made no secret they see the CC as the future of a more united humanity.
Tourism
Tourism is a huge industry on Europa, with its sapphire ice world, wild oceans and native life, many find Europa both beautiful and mysterious. Europa also has done its best to present as a Utopian world, mixed as the truth of that is, which attracts further visitors. The capitol of Zues' Band has especially become less and less of a research hub and more and more of a tourism and administrative heart of the CC.
Alternative Name(s)
The Ocean World
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