Io
One of Jupiter’s larger moons, Io is an extremely hostile and unforgiving environment for colonists. Its atmosphere of sulfur dixoide and hot spots of volcanic and tectonic activity make Io a very dangerous environment for humanity. What would make people consider living there? Money.
Io’s volcanos produce vents of heat in excess of 2,000° K, and the moon itself creates an intense electrical field when its nickel and iron core passes through Jupiter’s magnetic field, producing in excess of 1 trillion watts. Power stations dotted around the surface converting heat transfer and atmospheric electrical charge into usable energy have made Io one of the primary storable energy production facilities in the Outer Planets. The need for energy in the Outers and the Belt has made Io’s economy strong for a moon that few would choose to live on otherwise. Ships leave Io almost on the hour loaded with power cells for moons and stations across the solar system.
Due to its atmosphere, most habitats for Io’s workers are underground in the few tectonically stable areas of the moon. Work at the power stations on the surface is both difficult and dangerous, but the pay is high enough that new workers are continually drawn in by the idea of making a quick buck.
Some workers who live on Io have sworn there’s a science station on the surface of the moon, but neither Earth nor Mars are known to have built anything like that there, nor is there much left to study about its magnetic field and tectonics. Most believe that the stress of the jobs on Io leads to conspiracy theories.
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