User:NewOriginalSchwann/Sandbox

The fifth planet out from Sol, and the largest in the system, Jupiter has long fascinated humanity with its dramatic surface and miniature solar system of moons. The gas giant was an early target for human colonization during the “new space race” and remains a major settlement for humanity in the 25th century, with several billion people calling the various moons orbiting Jupiter home. The vast majority of the planet’s population lives on these moons, with only a brave (or foolish) few opting to make their lives in orbital habitats on the “surface” of the gas giant.

History

Ligma

Life on Jupiter

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The Moons of Jupiter

Europa -

Probes to Europa around the time of Mars colonization verified there were in fact, evidence of microbial life in its waters, which prompted more intensive probing which lead to the discovery of shrimp in both 'lakes' trapped closer to the surface in pockets of ice, and the bigger ocean underneath. The most astonishing fact about these translucent purple shrimp is the size, averaging around 1.5 feet (45.7 cms), with some observed cases of up to 4 feet(121.9cms). This is a large margin above terrestrial shrimp,. Their primary source of food seems to be rather large masses of bioluminescent algae, that seem to thrive in the typically low-light conditions of the waters darkened by thick layers of ice.

The ice-encrusted-ocean moon around Jupiter houses several facilities, most of them owned by Idris Incorporated and most of those are recreational and tourist attractions. Of the Idris facilities, the Jovian Jewel, a partially underwater casino/aquarium/fine undersea dining facility located closer to the south pole of Europa, is widely acclaimed for the aforementioned functions. The shrimp there are often served with the many other ingredients grown with hydroponic equipment present. Among the casino functions, it has well-watched biannual poker tournaments, and Jupiter's Red Storm themed roulette wheels.

Another facilitiy present on the moon with a large amount of prominence is a genetic research facility, the ZHRS Zhenbing, studies the evolutionary process of the shrimp and algae present on the moon, trying to determine the how and why they evolved the way they have.

Io -

The fourth-largest moon in the Sol system is a hotbed of volcanic activity, so much so that it is the most volcanically active object in the system. This has made Io a lucrative planet for geothermal energy despite its incredibly dangerous environment, and the difficulties encountered with early surveys of the moon due to its extreme volcanic activity and thin atmosphere. Due to this the first colonization efforts on Io were made later than Jupiter’s other moons, and only began in the mid 2200s. This late start has, however, not stopped Io from becoming one of the main producers of energy in the Sol system: it is estimated that upwards of 15% of energy consumed in the system originates on Io, a remarkably high amount for such a small galactic body.

There are no official permanent settlements on Io due to the extreme nature of its volcanology, and teams are cycled in and out of geothermal facilities on a monthly basis due to the extreme danger working on the moon poses. The hardship of life on Io has, despite its lack of permanent settlements, led to a kind of culture emerging in the crews that work on the geothermal facilities on its surface. This culture tends to revolve around the camaraderie shared between the men, women, and rare IPC placed in such danger and the belief that the engineers of Io are the best anywhere in the Orion Spur. After all, who else could work in such a dangerous environment and live?

Workers from Io are prized throughout the Orion Spur for their engineering abilities, and are highly sought-after by corporations such as Einstein Engines, Hephaestus Industries, and NanoTrasen.

Ganymede -

Colonized in 2100 by the Cosmonaut Enterprises' Balandin, establishing the colony of Miestobra in the Zu Fossae. It's chief function was to allow engineers building settlements over Jupiter a reliable supply source. Over time it became a large source of agricultural goods from it's massive hydroponics program, even going so far as to establish a notable prominence in the Sol Alliance as a large quantity (and reasonable quality) alcohol provider, usually in vodka and kvass, a popular beverage of the first colonists there, and still today in Miestobra.

Of even larger note than the influence of Miestobra in the region and it's history, is the evidence of shrimp similar, if not exactly the same as those on Europa. They have been found and noted by geologists/miners working on establishing what caused the light, unmarked by crater terrain to the darker, more heavily pocketed areas. There are a few cases of them having been excavated along other materials, frozen in the icy crust. No alive specimens have been recovered yet, though it's theorized that there are more present in it's subsurface ocean, especially with recent evidence pointing to the existence of some kind of algae similar to that present on Europa as well.

Callisto -

Callisto is home to the SAOD Dosahobra, originally founded by Cosmonaut Enterprises and 'acquired' by the Sol Alliance after the USSR (and by extension, many of the countries in CE) collapsed financially. Now it serves as a primary port for travel to and from the Sol System, outside of use by the warpgate. The location was chosen for the potential to be used as a good location to gravity assist ships both heading to the outer and inner system. The technique is still used effectively to save fuel, especially for smaller ships.