It all began in 1979...
Robert said:
"I can't think of other sci-fi flicks set out on a moon of a gas giant, but for some reason the '80s inspired two of 'em."
Voyager 1 and 2 really opened up the outer solar system starting in 1979
by turning all those gas giants' moons from little points of light into real
worlds that were more amazing and varied than most people imagined.
Peter Hyams said he was inspired to put Outland's setting on Io after the
moon was revealed by the Voyagers to be a highly volcanic and multi-colored
world with a huge planet hovering in its black and sulfurous sky.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter%27s_moons_in_fiction