Habitable environment on a big moon of a gas giant lacking magnetosphere

I am trying to figure out how to make a moon (75% of Earth size) of a gas giant habitable.

To give an idea of the technological level, here are technologies the colonists have access to:

• fully automated and robotised asteroid mining;
• space travel at 1/10 of the speed of light;
• terraforming technologies (however, only one project has been completed successfully by the time of their departure);
• genetic engineering;
• suspended animation.

Some details of the planetary system chosen for colonisation:

• K-type main sequence star (about 60% of Sun size);
• large asteroid belt which can be mined for all and any necessary materials;
• there is a gas giant in the Goldilocks zone;
• this gas giant does not have a strong magnetosphere;
• it has 3 moons, the largest of which is being colonised;
• this moon is the only candidate in the entire star system for establishing a colony.

The colonists do not have contact with Earth and cannot receive supplies or technology updates. The majority of them are scientists (not just STEM, social sciences as well) and engineers. The team is very small "” under 200 people. At the time of arrival at the system, almost all fuel is exhausted. While, theoretically, it is possible to set up fuel production in the asteroid belt, refuel the spaceship and look for a more inviting place, the colonists decide to stay.

The moon chosen for terraforming is very much a dead rock. There is no water, atmosphere, or life. It is a perfect blank canvas for the project. However, it does not have a magnetosphere. So, there is a huge concern that the solar radiation will strip their new home of artificial atmosphere and damage organic life.

Is it possible to create an artificial magnetosphere? How can it be done?

posted about 7 years ago

Olga‭

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