There is abundant water in Europa – more water than on all the Earth. Another moon of Jupiter, Callisto, and a moon of Saturn, Enceladus, are believed to have large bodies of water below their surfaces. In a time of hysteria over the Earth’s existing water supplies, it is a good idea to further explore these huge sources of water.

Europa is extremely cold. At the poles, it can be as cold as –200 C. The lowest temperature on Antarctica is –89 C. Both environments are so harsh that humans cannot survive outside.

Despite the extreme conditions, survival on Europa is obviously possible. First, protection from the vacuum is necessary. Some type of human-made dwelling would be required. Nuclear power could provide energy. Since water ice is abundant, the ice could be converted to water. Oxygen could be extracted from the water. For food, a greenhouse with artificial grow lights could be used.

When news of the New World reached the Old World after Columbus’ voyage, the new land was often described as a savage wilderness. It took Great Britain over a century to successfully establish a colony.

Perhaps one tremendous social difference between today and the days of Columbus is in language learning. Educators have a variety of new materials and techniques that shorten the time required for language acquisition. A person who is interested and has some basic aptitude can acquire spoken language in a foreign tongue over the course of weeks or less. These new materials include videos, tapes and CD’s. For international missions, these language education advances are a critical boost.

Life in a community on Europa would require a group of very civil people. It would be best to form small communities, since the destructive work of one individual might destroy the entire community.