The Edges of the System

Abstract

The Outer Solar System is an enormous region, offering plenty of potential living space and valuable resources for humankind. It comprises Uranus and Neptune with their moon systems, myriads of trans-Neptunian dwarf planets and planetoids including Pluto, Charon, Eris etc. and putative planetary or substellar-sized objects. The most feasible approach for ice giant planets seems to be helioformation, followed by terraforming and colonizing their moons, using methods similar to those that should be employed on Jupiter and Saturn. Since many other celestial bodies are too far from any light source, turning them into habitable worlds requires altering their orbit. While such a process requires a carefully planned and sustained effort, it would be made easier by the low mass of these planetoids.<br>