Whenever
possible, I prefer to abide by current scientific knowledge in my stories. Since
I have a degree in molecular biophysics, I claim to have a basic knowledge of
physics and biology. In some of my stories, however, I may violate current theory in
allowing faster than light travel, or extrapolate to teleportals.
My latest
series, Taxyon Space, begins on Jupiter’s moon, Europa. Europa is the fourth
largest moon of Jupiter, and the second innermost of the Galilean moons, Io,
Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Europa is about 400,000 miles from Jupiter. It
orbits Jupiter in about 3.55 days with the same side always facing the gas
planet like our moon.
Europa
has a diameter of 1,900 miles, or a little smaller than Earth’s moon.
Its surface
gravity of 0.134g is a little lower than that of our moon (0.16g) and less than
on Mars (0.376g).
Much of
our data for Europa came from NASA missions, such as Galileo (https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/galileo/in-depth/ ).
Living on Europa
The moon
is predicted to have a surface layer of ice over an ocean of water and
iron-nickel core. The ice crust may be 10 or more miles thick, and the ocean
may be >50 miles deep. The surface ice is probably thinner in places. It has
reddish cracks in the ice, probably due to ocean tides caused by Jupiter. NASA
has also recorded huge plumes of water vapor bursting out of the ice. The thin
atmosphere of oxygen is not sufficient to breathe.
 |
| NASA Artist's Interpretation of Europa |
The
surface of Europa is inhospitable for life with extremely cold temperatures of
around 250-350 Fahrenheit combined with intense and deadly radiation from
Jupiter.
Instead
of living on the surface of the moon, the scientists in my story reside in
Galileo Station, located beneath the ice crust for protection against radiation
and extreme cold.
My
fictional Galileo Station on Europa consists of an Upper Station, nicknamed Topside, and
a Lower Station, called Bathos. Topside lies within a water pocket or channel
in the ice crust. It has a hatch on the surface that opens to allow a shuttle
to land on a platform. Shuttles are used for research flights around Jupiter
and to transport supplies from the ferry, a spaceship traveling from Earth to
the inhabited planets or moons. Bathos was constructed on a plateau on the
bottom of the ocean and houses manufacturing facilities, energy and food
production. Temperatures near the seabed are likely to be comfortable for
humans and may be fiery hot near volcanic vents. The two levels of Galileo
Station are connected by cables for power and data transmission, an elevator
called the Bullet, and vanes for energy generation from the tidal currents.
At the
time of my story, less than 20 people, mostly scientists, live on Galileo
Station. My heroine, a marine biologist, intends to study the life in the
oceans of Europa.
The
oceans of Europa have long been considered a likely location for extraterrestrial
life. NASA’s Space tourism poster illustrates potential lifeforms. My story has
intelligent jelsquid, animals that can morph between a disk-like jellyfish shape
to a squid-like form with nine arms.
 |
| NASA Space Tourism Poster |
My
inspiration for the ocean life is drawn from Earth. The Europan oceans will be
dark with little light penetrating through the ice crust. My heroine uses
infrared goggles when she swims in the ocean to study the marine animals. We
can consider similar habitats on Earth. A variety of unique animals and
bacteria live in deep sea hydrothermal vents, and may feed on hydrogen sulfide
emissions from the vent (http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-videos/hydrothermal-vent-creatures). Vibrant communities of
animals also life under the ice caps of Earth (http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1647012_1416760,00.html). Even in the deep
dark ocean, many animals have vivid colors and may be luminescent.
I have
incorporated ideas from these real ecosystems in my vision of the Europan
oceans.
SciFi adventure &
alien romance. What alien creatures lurk under the icy surface of Europa?
Two alien worlds. Two lovers torn apart. Can
they weave the hyperthreads into unity?
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