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 choosing a site for a settlement for the Moon. There are many decisions your must 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 location.

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

2. Enter Your Name

   Please type your name: submit
   * Name:

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   -- Note: Reentering a name will reset the scoring.

   

3. The Questions

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

   1. What are the advantages of a settlement location near, but not on, the Lunar South-Pole?

      -- [Check all that apply]
      Earth is visible 100% of the time
      The Sun is visible at least 95% of the time
      Permanently shadowed craters are within a few tens of kilometers
      There are some flat areas available to landing
      There are huge flat places to land
      The nights last for 14 Earth Days
      The trips there are low energy and safe
      submit
      
      * Score on this question:

      

   2. What are the concerns about near polar locations?

      -- [Check all that apply]
      Reaching lunar polar location requires additional Delta V
      The orbits to reach polar locations are not free return trajectories
      Nearly all mountain top rough terrain
      There are few flat areas available that are big enough for landing
      The nights are not long enough.
      The sites lack scientific interest.
      The Earth goes out of view.
      submit
      * Score on this question:

      

   3. What are the advantages of equatorial locations?

      -- [Check all that apply]
      Reaching lunar equatorial locations requires mininumal Delta V
      The orbits can be free return trajectories
      There are many wide, flat landing places.
      We have been there before.
      The nights are very long.
      Many sites have scientific interest.
      The Earth goes out of view.
      submit
      * Score on this question:

      

   4. How big is the disk of the Moon as seen on Earth?

      -- [Check one]
      0.5 degree, 1/2 a finger at arms length
      1.0 degree, 1 finger at arms length
      1.8 degree, 1-1/3 fingers at arms length
      4.0 degrees, 1 hand width at arms length
      8.0 degrees, 2 hands width at arms length
      submit
      * Score on this question:

   5. How big is the disk of the Earth as seen on the Moon?

      -- [Check one]
      0.5 degree, 1/2 a finger at arms length
      1.0 degree, 1 finger at arms length
      1.8 degree, 1-1/3 fingers at arms length
      4.0 degrees, 1 hand width at arms length
      8.0 degrees, 2 hands width at arms length
      submit
      * Score on this question:

   6. How does the Earth appear to move as seen from the Moon?

      -- [Check one]
      Following a circular path near the horizon
      Hanging like a stationary picture in the sky
      Following a circular path high over head
      Earth is not visible from the Moon
      submit
      * Score on this question:

   7. What is the apparent path of the Sun in near polar regions on Earth?

      -- [Check one]
      Following a circular path near the horizon
      Hanging like a stationary picture in the sky
      Following a circular path high over head
      The Sun is not visible from the Earth's poles.
      submit
      * Score on this question:

      

   8. What is the apparent path of the Sun in near polar regions on the Moon?

      -- [Check one]
      Following a circular path near the horizon
      Hanging like a stationary picture in the sky
      Following a circular path high over head
      The Sun is not visible from the Earth's poles.
      submit
      * Score on this question:

   9. Why can you see the Sun at midnight on some mountain tops in the Moon's southern polar region?

      -- [Check all that apply]
      There is a whacking big hole on the back side.
      The southern mountains are high.
      The Moon's axis is tilted.
      The Moon's orbit is tilted.
      submit
      * Score on this question:

   10. What are the all the good sources of light for small rover cameras on the Moon?

       -- [Check all that apply]
       The Sun
       Earth shine
       Moon shine from the diffuse surface
       Star light
       Continuous head lamps
       Strobing flash lamps
       A laser LIDAR system
       submit
       * Score on this question:

   11. Of the available sources of light which can provide meaningful heat and power?

       -- [Check one]
       The Sun
       Earth shine
       Moon shine from the diffuse surface
       Star light
       submit
       * Score on this question:

   12. What is the best orientation for a solar panel at a near polar location on the Moon?

       -- [Check one]
       Vertical and rotating
       Vertical and fixed
       Horizontal and steerable
       Horizontal and fixed
       submit
       * Score on this question:

   13. How fast will you need to spin your solar panel through 360 degrees?

       -- [Check one]
       Every Earth day
       Every Earth week
       Every Earth month
       Every Earth year
       submit
       * Score on this question:

   14. Where is water likely to be found on the Moon?

       -- [Check all that apply]
       In permanently shadowed craters
       On mountain tops
       In valley springs
       In a buried water table
       In the tropics
       submit
       * Score on this question:

   15. How do you move your rover down the mountain to find water?

       -- [Check all that apply]
       From light pool to light pool
       From communications hot spot to communications hot spot
       While watching the slope very carefully
       Slowly and with great care
       Working as a team
       Full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes
       submit
       * Score on this question:

   

4. Scoring

   Would you like to have your answers scored?

   submit
   * Your quiz 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 answers to be archived?

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   Can we add you to our mailing list? yes

   How can we make this game better?

   * Your answers have been prepared for archiving: NO

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

7. For more Information Contact Us

   If you would like to know more about our project and your lunar settlement design including:

   • Lunar Regolith Spreadsheet in .xlsx so a spreadsheet program is required.
   • Lunar Regolith Spreadsheet in pdf which is the basis for this calculator and can be read by your browser.
   • Notes for this calculator in pdf which should help you understand how we got our answers.
   • Short stories set in a lunar settlement.

   For farther information, please contact us.

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