Luna
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Luna, known on Earth as simply The Moon, is the only natural satellite of the planet Earth. Some 50 million people live on Earth's moon. It is the oldest human colony world, settled shortly before Mars in the early days of human interstellar travel. Luna is a Class F environment, but terraforming efforts over the past century and a half have transformed sections of its barren surface into thriving Class M regions. Vast pressure domes cover lunar craters and entire regions of the moon's surface, creating suitable environments for human habitation.
These areas have an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere at near Earth-normal pressure, maintained by atmospheric processors and a sophisticated weather-control network. Terraformers imported considerable amounts of water from elsewhere in the Sol System and worked to liberate frozen lunar water to create bodies of water on the surface. Lunar life is concentrated around these "crater lakes," where plant life blooms.
The rest of Luna remains covered in powdery gray regolith. Settled areas of the planet make use of graviton generators to provide Earth-normal gravity in the cities. Outlying areas retain Luna's lighter gravity, less than a quarter that of Earth. This makes low-gravity recreations popular on Luna. This includes games like parrises squares and flying using artificial wings made from tripolymers stretched over a light framework.
Lunar colonists, who prefer the designation "lunars" or "selenites" to the Earth slang term "lunatics," are known as independent, pioneering, and friendly. They have a well known love of sports, and the Lunar Colonies produce many fine athletes. Lunar colonists are also known as scientifically minded, producing researchers and scientists.
History
The Moon is believed to have been created when a Mars-sized planetesimal (designated Theia by 20th century astrophysicists) collided with Earth in its early history.
In the late 21st century, the Lunar colonies were founded. People who live in those colonies, even by the 24th century, still refer to Luna as "the Moon", though outsiders are often surprised by this.
"Terra Prime", a xenophobic group of humans which manifested in 2155, originated from the Orpheus Mining Colony on Luna.
Politics
As a major Human settlement, Luna falls under Federation jurisdiction and protection.
In Earth slang people who lived on the moon were called Lunar schooners. The occupants of Luna were aware of this but chose not to use the term on the Moon. The correct term is Lunarian (as humans from Earth could be called Terrans).
Geography
The Moon is about one quarter of the Earth in size, and scientists consider the Earth-Moon system to be a 'double planet' system, if not a close mirror of one. The moon is tidally locked, with one side always facing the Earth.
Amongst the Moon's most striking features are the maria, vast dark and flat plains formed by basaltic upwelling or lava flows. In one such mare, Mare Tranquillitatis, or the "Sea of Tranquility", lies the site of the first human landing on the Moon, Tranquility Base.
Locations
Reference(s)
- Isaacs, Ross A., et al. A Cadet's Guide to Sector 001, New York: Last Unicorn Games, 1999.