Mission to Jupiter
Callisto - A Cratered World
Callisto is a satellite covered by a thick crust of ice. The ice has been hit by millions of objects over the years, making craters. There are so many craters on Callisto that you can't make any new ones without wiping out an older one. All of these craters tell scientists that Callisto's surface is very old. Some scientists think that parts of Callisto have not changed in over 4 billion years.
Callisto is also further from Jupiter than any other of the large moons - it is far enough away from Jupiter to be out of the radiation belts!
Good News
- Callisto is outside of Jupiter's radiation belt, although you will still get radiation from the sun
Big Problems:
- Jupiter is far from the sun so sunlight is very dim
- It is also cold out there - between 100 to 200 degrees below zero Centigrade
- Gravity is only about 1/3rd as strong on Callisto as it is on Earth - how will this affect you and your buildings?
Little Problems:
- How will you keep warm?
- What will you eat?
- How will you make electricity?
- How will you communicate with the other bases and Earth?
Keep these things in mind while you discuss your base.
Want to see what Callisto looks like?
Click below to return to Jupiter
Click below to go to another moon
Citation and linking information
For questions about this page, please contact Steve Gagnon.