The Big Moon Dig - Return with us now to the Moon as we are preparing the ground for a real lunar settlement through study, simulations, team building, and exploration.

1. The Task

   Imagine you are designing a settlement for the Moon. There are many decisions to make that will define the safety and happiness of your people for decades to come. Here is your chance to work through a few of the choices about the habitat.

   -- Spoiler Alert: The supporting notes can provide most of the known answers.

2. Enter Your Name

   Please type your name: submit
   * Name:

   -- Note: This can be a Web nickname. What do you want to appear on the BMD Leader Board?
   -- Note: Reentering a name will reset the scoring.

   

3. The Questions with Calculations

   How may of these questions on choosing a site for a lunar settlement can you get right?

   1. Calculate Radiation Shield Thickness

      Our first calculation is to estimate the thickness (in meters) of lunar regolith we need to shield our people from the radiation of space.

      Choose an inhabited location on Earth: submit

      -- Example: Sea level, 101.2 kPa

      -- Note: If you left click in the middle of many of the input boxes, choices will appear.
      You can enter a number but it must have the same units as the examples, eg. 101.2 kPa.

      -- Note: Many of the choices are cities at high altitude with more than 1 million people , while others are chosen from historic space missions.

      * Earth pressure reference: ____ kPa
      * Water column: _____ m, (_____) ft
      
      
      Choose the regolith you will be using: submit

      -- Example: Apollo avg, 1.72 g/cm3

      * Regolith density: _____ g/cm³

      Answer:

      This air mass is equivalent to:

      * Regolith shield thickness: _____ m, (_____) ft

      -- Note: This is the source of the 5 Meter Rule.

      

   2. Calculate Roof Support

      Question: If you bury your inflated habitat under that much regality, will the roof fall in?

      Choose a internal pressure for your habitat: submit

      -- Example: Sea level, 101.2 kPa

      * Habitat internal pressure: _____ kPa

      Answer:

      * Your roof will support: _____ m, (_____) ft.

      

   3. Shipping Nitrogen from Earth

      Question: How much nitrogen will you have to ship for Earth for every 100 m³ of living volume?

      What is the diameter of your habitat: meters submit

      -- Example: 3.2

      Habitat cross-sectional diameter: _____ m

      -- Note: Typical range is 2.5 to 4.5 meters.

      Answer:

      * The mass of nitrogen shipped from Earth for 100 m³ of habitat: _____ kg
      
      

   4. Calculate Decompression Time Estimator

      Question: How long will your people have to wait to safely get accommodated to suit pressure for an EVA?

      -- Note: The International Space Station (ISS) uses 140 minutes.

      submit

      -- Note: no new input required

      Answer:

      * The decompression time: _____ minutes
      
      

   5. Calculate Boiling Point of Water

      Question: The boiling point of water effects many activities such as cooking, what is it in your habitat?

      submit

      -- Note: no new input required

      Answer:

      * The boiling point of water in your habitat: _____ °C

      

   6. Calculated Material Shifted

      Question: How much material will you have go move for every meter of trench dug?

      What is the maximum angle acceptable for a slope: degrees submit

      -- Example: 45

      -- Note: Typical numbers run from 30 to 50 degrees.

      
      
      * Maximum regolith slope: _____ degrees

      Answer:

      * The trench is: width: _____ m, by depth: _____ m
      
      
      * The mass of regolith you must dig for every meter of trench: _____ metric tons

      

4. Scoring

   Would you like to have your design scored?

   submit
   
   
   * Your habitat design score: ____
   
   

5. Summing Up

   Would you like to see a summation of your answers?

   submit
   * Your answers:
   
   

6. Archiving

   Would you like a summation of your design to be archived?

   Please enter your E-Mail:

   Can we add you to our mailing list? yes

   How can we make this game better?

   -- Note: Archiving your results can put you on the BMD Leader Board.
   -- Note: Archiving resets this form.

   * Your habitat design has been sent for archiving: NO

7. Contact Us

   If you would like to know more about our project or need a review copy of Vol. 01 or have any input, please contact us. You can also link to additional support for this game;

   • Lunar Regolith Spreadsheet in .xlsx which is the basis for this calculator but requires a spreadsheet reader.
   • Lunar Regolith Spreadsheet in pdf which is the basis for this calculator and can be read with a browser.
   • Notes for this calculator in pdf which should help you understand what it is
   • Stories based on related habitat designs.

   Validated for HTML5 with W3C.

   

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