Luna
| “ | Men go into space .. to see whether it is the kind of place where other men, and their families and their children, can eventually follow them. A disturbingly high proportion of the intelligent young are discontented because they find the life before them intolerably confining. The moon offers a new frontier. It is as simple and splendid as that. | ” |
| —Editorial on the moon landing, The Economist, 1969 | ||
| Luna | |
 | |
| Planetary characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Orbit | 384,400 km from parent (mean) |
| Diameter | 3474.8 km |
| Surface Gravity | 0.17 G |
| Year | 27.32 days |
| Day | 29.53 days |
| Mean Temperature | 380°K day, 120°K night (107°C day, -153°C night) |
| Atmosphere | none |
| Water/Ice Index | 0% |
| Population (2013) | 435,000 |
| Political Affiliation | Fenspace Convention |
| Government | Direct Democracy |
| Capital | Kandor City |
The regular daily and monthly rhythms of Earth's only natural satellite, the Moon, have guided timekeepers for thousands of years. Its influence on Earth's cycles, notably tides, has also been charted by many cultures in many ages. More than 70 spacecraft were sent to the Moon before the discovery of handwavium; 12 astronauts walked upon its surface and brought back 382 kg[1] of lunar rock and soil to Earth using completely hardtech methods and equipment.
The presence of the Moon stabilizes Earth's wobble. This has led to a much more stable climate over billions of years, which may have affected the course of the development and growth of life on Earth.[2]
History
As with our previous entry on Mars, the history of lunar colonization is varied and not very well fleshed out by the Fenspace collective as yet. For purposes of not leaving this section blank, assume that since the Moon was the closest celestial object to Earth, people started going there right off the bat. The Supers were the first to lay down a permanent settlement, followed quickly by the US Coast Guard and the Senshi (in that order), and stuff happened. As we come up with interesting trivia and turn it into narrative, this notice will go away. --The Mgt.
Places of Interest
Holding the unique distinction of being the only other celestial body Man had personally visited pre-wave, Earth's moon Luna (or simply The Moon) is the most populous body in Fenspace.
Nearside
The largest city in Fenspace is Kandor City, based around The Watchtower and located in Crater Daniell. The city has a population of 250,000, and hosts the Metahuman Power Biomodification Research Institute (Supers faction home base), Kandor City Hospital, and the home base for the Soviet Air Force among other major facilities.
The Watchtower is the oldest structure on Luna, and lifts a remarkable 1600m[3] from the surface among its sprawling supports on the south-western lip of the crater. The old part of the city along with the old docks and warehouse district are based around these supports and inside the crater, with the actual living area in glass-covered sections between the supports on the crater's inner rim.
To the south on Mare Serenitatis, almost exactly halfway between the Apollo 17 and Luna 21 landing sites, the Senshi maintain their Moon Kingdom Memorial Outpost.
Even further south is Port Luna. Here the US Coast Guard set up shop to prevent the "vandalism" of the site of Man's first extra planetary mission, the Convention Authority followed, and the settlement has become the Convention's "embassy town" as well as a tourist draw. Port Luna helps serve Tranquility Base National Park, which it surrounds in a ring of pressurized buildings and connecting walkways.
The other Apollo landing sites are covered as World Heritage Sites and have 3km exclusion zones, except for the Apollo 14 landing site. While the lander and immediate area are locked off as historical sites, the rest of the surrounding territory has been converted into the Shepard Memorial Golf Course, the first PGA-approved[4] 18-hole course offworld.
West of Port Luna is crater Mösting A, important to Fen as headquarters of the Bank of Sol and important 'Daneside as the reference point for the selenographical coordinate system. West-northwest of Mösting A is the Oceanus Procellarum, where the Galactic Republic maintain a small Jedi Academy.
Elsewhere
Near Luna's north pole is Moonbase Alpha. Alpha is a more hardtech approach to a city, consisting of connected housing modules buried under the regolith. The city is considered more of an industrial centre than a place to live in, despite being almost completely self-sufficient. However, Manny O'Kelly's Bar and Grill (on D Level of Alpha) is one of the best-regarded eateries on Luna amongst those who can afford the price of non-vat-grown meat in Fenspace.
On the Lunar far side are Bristol and the Takeuchi Shipyard at Mare Marginis, where the Venusian Crystal Cities were constructed and the Senshi continue to build ships. Southwest of Marginis in Gagarin Crater the VVS maintains their primary construction facility and active military base. To the north in Landau Crater[5] is the Lunar Hazardous Waste Repository #1, an underground storage facility managed by Moonbase Alpha.
At the Luna South Pole is the Shackleton Crater complex. This is run by the Artemis Foundation and the various Luna colonization societies in co-operation. Shackleton Crater mines the small amount of ice and hydrogen to be found here, as well as mounts the Blind Io Luna Observatory Complex.
Related Links
Notes
- ↑ 842 pounds
- ↑ Opening text courtesy NASA's Solar System Exploration page on Luna, modified for Fenspace
- ↑ 9.3 meters short of a mile
- ↑ Well, sort of; they slipped the documents in and got the signatures anyway
- ↑ Appropriately enough
