How Can We Live on a Giant Planet Without Sky or Sea? The Complete Guidebook to Living on Jupiter

This article can be read in about 29 minutes.

【Introduction | Will the Day Come When Humanity Lives on Jupiter?】

“Living on Jupiter” — it might sound like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. But in recent years, this idea, once dismissed as completely impossible, has slowly started to feel just a little more realistic.

Jupiter is known as the largest planet in the solar system. Its diameter is about 11 times that of Earth, and its mass is an incredible 300 times greater. On the other hand, because of its overwhelming scale and harsh environment, it has long been assumed that “there’s no way humans could ever live there.”

However, in recent years, NASA, the ESA (European Space Agency), and even private companies like SpaceX have begun to show strong interest in Jupiter and its moons. In particular, attention is focused on Jupiter’s “moons” such as Europa and Ganymede. These satellites may have liquid oceans beneath their icy surfaces, and discussions have begun about the possible “existence of life” and the “potential for human habitation.”

“So, does that mean we can’t live on Jupiter itself?”

In fact, that’s exactly right: at this point, living on Jupiter’s main body is considered almost impossible. The reason is that Jupiter doesn’t have a “surface” in the way we imagine it. Unlike Earth, it has no solid ground. It’s a “gas giant,” made mostly of hydrogen and helium.

But humanity doesn’t give up so easily. Instead of Jupiter itself, the focus is on migrating to its moons. In other words, the idea is to “live on the moons orbiting Jupiter,” using the giant planet’s energy and environment while establishing a new foothold for humanity.

In this guide, we’ll explore this grand theme — “How could we live in the Jovian system?” — in a way that even beginners can follow, avoiding technical jargon as much as possible while still including concrete information. It may sound like a story from the future, but by the end, you might find yourself thinking, “This is more realistic than I expected.”

Chapter 1 | What Kind of Planet Is Jupiter?

There are two key things you should know about Jupiter first.

  1. It is a giant gas planet.

  2. It has more than 80 moons.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these points.

Jupiter Has No “Ground” to Stand On

First, the planet we live on — Earth — as well as the Moon and Mars, are “rocky planets” (with solid surfaces). Jupiter, on the other hand, is a “gas planet” (a huge planet made of gas) with no solid surface at all.

In other words, it’s almost impossible to “land” on Jupiter in the first place. Its gravity is extremely strong, and the atmospheric pressure is immense, so any spacecraft attempting to plunge in would likely be crushed.

Jupiter’s Environment Is Harsher Than You’d Imagine

Jupiter has several distinctive environmental features:

  • Super-strong gravity: With more than 2.5 times Earth’s gravity, even standing still would feel like hard labor.

  • Atmospheric storms: There’s a massive vortex called the Great Red Spot — a storm twice the size of Earth that has been raging for hundreds of years.

  • Toxic gases: Large amounts of substances harmful to humans, such as ammonia, are present in the atmosphere.

  • Intense radiation: Jupiter’s magnetic field is about 1,000 times stronger than Earth’s, creating radiation levels around the planet that humans simply cannot tolerate.

Given all this, Jupiter’s “surface environment” is nowhere near habitable with today’s technology.

Then Why Are We Even Talking About “Living There”?

Here, the key lies in Jupiter’s moons.

The following three are especially noteworthy:

  • Europa: A moon whose icy surface may conceal an ocean containing more water than Earth’s oceans combined, potentially making it a strong candidate for life.

  • Ganymede: The largest moon in the solar system. It has its own magnetic field and is believed to harbor a subsurface ocean.

  • Callisto: A relatively calm and stable world with many craters, thought to be suitable for constructing habitats.

These moons lie somewhat outside Jupiter’s most intense radiation belts and have solid surfaces. That’s why they’re being studied as potential candidates for future human settlements.

In this way, instead of living directly on Jupiter, humanity is looking to open up new possibilities by establishing bases on the “moons orbiting Jupiter.”

Chapter 2 | Could We Live on Europa? Hidden Potential of a Watery World

Among Jupiter’s moons, the one that draws the most attention as a possible “cradle of life” and potential human habitat is Europa.

Europa is roughly 3,100 km in diameter, about the same size as Earth’s Moon, and its surface is covered in ice. But beneath that ice, there is believed to be a vast “liquid ocean.”

Europa Has an “Icy Crust × Subsurface Ocean”

Data from NASA’s Galileo and Juno spacecraft suggest that beneath Europa’s icy shell lies an ocean up to 100 km deep. The amount of water there might actually exceed the volume of Earth’s oceans.

Naturally, this leads to the train of thought: “If there’s water, there might be life… and if life can exist, maybe humans could live there too.”

Moreover, tidal heating caused by Jupiter’s strong gravity is thought to keep this ocean in liquid form. This energy may create environments like undersea volcanoes and hydrothermal vents, potentially forming a cradle of life.

A Surface of Extreme Cold and Endless White

That said, living on Europa is far from straightforward.

  • The average surface temperature is about −160°C.

  • It has almost no atmosphere, and certainly not enough oxygen to breathe.

  • Radiation levels on the surface are high enough to pose serious health risks during prolonged exposure.

Therefore, if humanity is to live on Europa, we would need to build “bases carved into the ice” or facilities that provide access to the subsurface ocean.

Recently, NASA has even been planning missions to melt through the ice crust and explore the ocean with submersible probes. An extension of such missions could eventually lead to the concept of a “permanent under-ice station” for long-term habitation.

Three Key Challenges for Living on Europa

  1. Shielding from radiation
    Jupiter’s powerful magnetic field creates intense radiation that bombards Europa. To block it, designs for habitation facilities typically place them underground or encased within the ice, rather than on the surface.

  2. Securing oxygen
    Europa’s atmosphere does contain oxygen, but only in extremely small amounts. We would therefore need to generate oxygen artificially. Technologies like water electrolysis will be essential.

  3. Securing energy sources
    Because sunlight is weak in the Jovian system, nuclear power and energy extracted from hydrothermal activity are more realistic options. In particular, tapping into thermal energy from beneath the ice is a promising approach.

Chapter 3 | Overcoming Radiation, Gravity, and Cold: Humanity’s Challenges

To make life in the Jovian system a reality, we must overcome numerous obstacles. Using Europa as an example, let’s look at three major environmental issues and the “paths toward solutions.”

1. How Can We Withstand Intense Radiation?

Jupiter has the strongest magnetic field in the solar system. As a result, powerful radiation belts surround the planet.

It’s said that if a human were to remain on Europa’s surface, they could receive a lethal dose of radiation in just one day.

Potential countermeasures include:

  • Building facilities at depths of 10 meters or more beneath the surface.

  • Using shields made of ice or water to block radiation.

  • Applying combined shielding techniques — such as “water + lead” — which are also being studied for lunar bases.

With such measures, it may be possible to maintain safe living spaces.

2. How Do We Cope with Extreme Cold?

Europa’s surface temperature is below −160°C. In such brutal cold, ordinary machinery and the human body would quickly freeze.

Potential countermeasures include:

  • Building sealed structures using highly insulating materials.

  • Using nuclear power to keep interior spaces heated at all times.

  • Living within the ice itself to reduce the impact of the external environment.

One especially interesting concept is the “snow-house-type” structure. Snow and ice are actually excellent insulators, so it may be possible to keep habitats warmer underground than on the open surface.

3. Can We Adapt to Gravity Different from Earth’s?

Europa’s gravity is about 13% of Earth’s. That means someone who weighs 60 kg on Earth would feel like they weigh only about 8 kg on Europa.

While this might sound fun, long-term life in such low gravity brings the risk of muscle and bone weakening.

Possible countermeasures include:

  • Using “artificial gravity systems” for a certain amount of time each day to simulate Earth-like gravity.

  • Building exercise facilities and making strength training a daily routine.

  • Employing medical approaches that act directly on muscles and bones — or even genetics.

Experiments related to these issues are already underway on the International Space Station (ISS), and their results are expected to be applied to future missions.

Chapter 4 | A Day in the Life in the Jovian System

If you were to live on Europa in the Jovian system someday, what would a typical day look like? Life beneath the ice, inside a radiation-shielded dome, would likely be far more unique and stimulating than you imagine.

Let’s imagine a realistic day, from morning to night, sometime in the 2030s–2040s.

☀️ Morning | Waking Up in an Artificial-Gravity Facility

  • You wake up in a bedroom equipped with artificial gravity. Special beds and floors are designed to recreate Earth-like gravity to prevent muscle loss.

  • Fresh oxygen fills the room through an air-circulation system, and your day begins with a deep, refreshing breath.

  • Breakfast might be a salad made from spinach and beans grown in a plant factory, along with a nutrition bar derived from traditional space food. The meal is surprisingly nutritious, and its taste has been refined enough to be satisfying.

🔬 Daytime | Work and Activity in the Under-Ice City

  • About 20 meters below the surface lies a sprawling “ice city” filled with research facilities and agricultural domes where people work.

  • You are part of an ocean-exploration mission, in charge of maintaining submersible drones and analyzing the data they gather.

  • Europa’s subsurface ocean may harbor unknown microorganisms, and studying them could become a major research project that reshapes humanity’s view of life.

🍱 Evening | Meals and Time with Friends

  • After a day’s work, you gather with your colleagues for dinner in a shared space. In the pressure-controlled dining hall, VR wall displays recreate scenes of Earth’s sunsets to ease homesickness.

  • Today is “Monday set-meal day.” The menu features Japanese-style dishes such as instant miso soup and rice-powder-based “onigiri-like” food.

🌌 Night | Communicating with Earth and Winding Down

  • Via communication satellites, you exchange messages with your family back on Earth. While it’s not perfectly real-time, sending and receiving audio and video messages is no problem.

  • You spend the night in a “safe zone” enclosed by radiation shields. After a light stretching session in the artificial-gravity area, you relax by reading or watching a movie.

  • You can’t see Earth’s starry night sky directly, but Jupiter is projected beautifully on the ceiling screen. Gazing at its mysterious form, you bring your day to a peaceful close.

Chapter 5 | Ongoing Projects Related to Jupiter

Life in the Jovian system may sound like pure fantasy, but multiple space agencies are already seriously exploring Jupiter and assessing its habitability.

● NASA’s “Europa Clipper” Mission

Europa Clipper, scheduled for launch in 2024, will enter orbit around Europa and conduct detailed investigations of its icy crust and subsurface ocean.

This mission represents the first scientific step toward determining whether humans might one day live on Europa. Its instruments will measure things like ice thickness, composition, ocean chemistry, and the presence or absence of heat sources.

● SpaceX’s “Starship” Super-Heavy Rocket Concept

SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, has set its sights not only on the Moon and Mars, but also on the Jovian system as a future target for cargo and crew transport using “ultra-long-range spacecraft.”

Super-heavy vehicles like Starship could make long-distance transport to the Jovian system possible, potentially delivering probes and infrastructure to Jupiter’s moons.

● ESA’s JUICE Mission

The ESA (European Space Agency) launched a probe called JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) in 2023, which is scheduled to arrive in the Jovian system in 2031.

JUICE will orbit major icy moons — Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa — investigating their environments, atmospheres, and the potential existence of subsurface oceans.

Chapter 6 | How We Can Start Preparing for “Jovian Life” Right Now

When you hear people talk about “living on Jupiter,” it may feel like a future that has nothing to do with your own life. But in reality, there are several things you can start doing today. As technology advances and space development becomes more concrete, each of us has a chance to expand our options for the future.

Here are some ways we can begin preparing for a Jovian future right now.

Develop an Interest in Space Technology and Deepen Your Knowledge

The most important first step is simply “learning.” By engaging with news and technologies related to space development — not just Jupiter — you broaden your perspective toward the future.

・Watch documentaries about space exploration on YouTube
・Check out the latest missions on the official websites of NASA, JAXA, and ESA
・Read space-business and science-related articles on platforms like note

These actions may become the first steps toward making the dream of “working in space” a reality someday.

Learn AI and Programming Skills

Life in the Jovian system would likely depend on a highly automated society. Skills related to robots, AI, and remote operations will be crucial.

That’s why it’s useful to start learning how to use AI tools or to experiment with programming as a hobby. For example:

・Creating written content using AI tools like ChatGPT
・Taking introductory courses in Python or JavaScript
・Learning via home-use programmable robots and educational toys

All of these are ways to prepare yourself to become “someone needed in future space societies.”

Shift Toward a More Sustainable Lifestyle

Life on Jupiter’s moons will require an even stronger focus than Earth on “resource conservation” and “circular systems.” That’s why adopting a sustainable lifestyle on Earth can double as training for future life in space.

・Be more conscious of saving electricity and water
・Try home gardening or balcony gardening
・Take recycling and waste separation more seriously

These habits are good for Earth and also form the basics of everyday life in a space colony.

Try Space Food

These days, “space food” is sold to the general public. Trying it at least once can be a fun way to experience the future.

For example:

・Retort-pouch “space curry”
・Freeze-dried “space onigiri” (rice balls)
・Tube-type “space jelly”

By actually tasting the sorts of meals people might eat in space, you can imagine the future much more vividly.

Keep Believing in the Future

Above all else, what matters is “believing in the future.”

The day when humans live in the Jovian system might be closer than you think. Rather than dismissing that possibility as “unrealistic,” holding the belief that “this might really happen someday” is itself the first step toward that future.

Try remembering the childhood dream of “wanting to be an astronaut.”
We are now entering an era when that dream can be rekindled in a new way.

【Summary】Migration to the Jovian System Is Not a Distant Dream, but Humanity’s Next Great Challenge

Thank you so much for reading this far.

When you hear “living on Jupiter,” it may still feel like something out of movies or anime. But in reality, many projects are already underway, and advancing technology is gradually turning this “dream” into something closer to reality.

Of course, there are countless problems we still need to solve. Yet humanity is facing each of them seriously, and we ordinary people also have the potential to play a part in this process.

When technological progress, social change, and your own choices for the future all come together,
“living in the Jovian system” will no longer be just a dream.

And when that time comes —
it might be you who starts a new life under Jupiter’s sky.

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