John Timmer at Ars Technica reports:
So, why Titan? The two closer destinations, the Moon and Mars, have atmospheres that are effectively nonexistent. That means any habitation will have to be extremely robust to hold its contents in place. Both worlds are also bathed in radiation, meaning those habitats will need to be built underground, as will any agricultural areas to feed the colonists. Any activities on the surface will have to be limited to avoid excessive radiation exposure.
Would anyone want to go to a brand-new world just to spend their lives in a cramped tunnel? Hendrix and Wohlforth suggest the answer will be "no." Titan, in contrast, offers a dense atmosphere that shields the surface from radiation and would make any structural failures problematic, rather than catastrophic. With an oxygen mask and enough warm clothing, humans could roam Titan's surface in the dim sunlight. Or, given the low gravity and dense atmosphere, they could float above it in a balloon or on personal wings.
The vast hydrocarbon seas and dunes, Hendrix and Wohlforth suggest, would allow polymers to handle many of the roles currently played by metal and wood. Drilling into Titan's crust would access a vast supply of liquid water in the moon's subsurface ocean. It's not all the comforts of home, but it's a lot more of them than you'd get on the Moon or Mars.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Weasley on Monday May 15 2017, @02:22PM (2 children)
Why don't we just colonize the sun? Don't have to deal with the bitter cold. Plenty of solar power. Did you know the night is 8 days long on Titan? On the sun it's day time all the time. My tomatoes will love it.
(Score: 3, Touché) by chewbacon on Monday May 15 2017, @04:44PM
Your tomatoes might become sundried.
(Score: 2) by melikamp on Monday May 15 2017, @04:44PM
The sun is already jam-packed with mystic alderman.
https://theinfosphere.org/images/8/8d/Mystic_aldermen_of_the_sun.png [theinfosphere.org]
Good luck dislodging them from their districts, we know what happened to the last schmo who tried.