Expert: Tom Whiting - 3/6/2008

Question
What is a realistic goal for terraforming another planet or moon?  Also, in your
opinion will we find life on Europa?

Answer
Hi Tim,
Well, the reward would be another Earth-like planet in our
Solar System...By "goal" do you mean a time frame??
{I'll assume that's what you mean.}  Because it's going to depend on our own Technological and advancement endeavors, and the cost, of course.  It's not going to do much for a population explosion
on this planet (too costly to transport all those people) but like
the American Colonists in 1607, it would set up another colony
for us.  Then, once man extends his living area to another body,
or bodies, it would insure continuance of Homosapiens in the event of Nuclear War, large asteroid impact into the Earth, etc. etc.
That's really the big benefit...from a human survival standpoint.
When your species is confined to only one body (Earth), you are subject to the whims and forces on that one body, but if you spread your numbers out to other habitable bodies, then your chances for longterm survival go up drastically.  That's the BIG payoff here.
{In fact, the phrase....go forth and multiply....maybe meant...just that, on other bodies, so we really have "Orders from Above"
don't we?}

Oh, I would think 1000-2000 years from now, we should be on our way
to doing that say, to Mars.
(Realize 1000 years is not a very long time on the astronomical or
geological timescale).

Part II is really a biological question (life) as opposed to astronomy, so perhaps you got the wrong field in allexperts.com.

But if you want an opinion (which is what you asked) I would not
be surprised to find many marginal planets and moons with simple
bacteria, moss, algae, lichens, anaerobic bacteria, and perhaps rudimentary sea creatures swimming around. (But this is a far cry from intelligent life).
But I think the very basic lifeforms are fairly numerous, if conditions permit it.
Intelligent life is another question, and I'm estimating about
5 per galaxy, with an average distance of about 20,000 lightyears
between the systems, or a 40,000 year round trip at lightspeed.
And thus, we are basically alone in that respect, because of the great distance involved, and the limiting light speed which matter cannot travel.
Just my opinion.
Hope this helps,
Clear Skies,
Tom Whiting
Erie, PA