Will we ever be able to send humans to Jupiter?
We find out if we can make the gas giant and its moons destinations for future manned missions
Sending humans to the largest planet in the Solar System is going to be a huge challenge. Image Credit: NASA
Asked by Adam Kirkham
Jupiter is not only a long way from the Earth, it also doesn’t have a solid surface for us to land on. This means that a crewed mission to the largest planet in the Solar System has not even entered the realms of consideration.
On average Jupiter is 1,500 to 2,500 times further away from the Earth than the Moon is (the furthest we have ever sent humans outside our planet’s atmosphere), which would mean a journey far longer than we have ever attempted. Any potential explorers would have to ride in a custom airship and drift through the gases. Some of Jupiter’s moons present much more alluring targets, however, but until astronauts are capable of surviving the journey, the vast distance to the gas giant will prove a big obstacle.
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