Luna is Earth's only moon. It's also the fifth biggest moon in the Sol System. It is under the jurisdiction of the United Nations (UN), and its inhabitants have all the rights and responsibilities of UN citizenship.
Description[]
Luna is Earth’s only natural satellite. It is only a quarter of Earth’s diameter, with a gravity of 0.16 g—lighter than many spin stations in the Asteroid Belt.
Only 384,402 kilometers away from Earth, Luna was the site of humanity’s first landing on another celestial body, as well as the location of Earth’s first interplanetary colony, established in the early 21st century. This first permanent lunar base was a shared military and scientific endeavor, and while elements of both remain, Luna is now much more of a civilian station. Like Earth, Luna is governed by the United Nations, and the approximately one hundred million inhabitants of Luna are considered full UN citizens. Basic Assistance does not extend to Luna, so its citizens are generally wealthier than most of their counterparts on Earth. Lunar natives tend to have thinner frames, a result of life in the moon’s low gravity, but are generally not as tall and thin as Belters.
Luna functions as a way station between Earth and the rest of the Solar System, and serves as a natural meeting place between residents of the Inner Planets and inhabitants of the Belt and Outers. Due to its lower gravity, Luna is the only body in the Inner System that Belters can easily visit and where they can comfortably remain for any substantial period of time.
Just as on Earth, Luna hosts numerous corporate headquarters as well as respected universities and scientific institutes. It is a hub for commerce and travel, with frequent shuttle flights to and from Earth as well as regular long-haul transport and passenger service to the Outers.
UN Luna flag
A hostile environment with no atmosphere to speak of, Luna is subject to intense solar radiation and a constant rain of micro-meteors, so surface domes such as can be found on Mars would be a significant safety risk. As a result, virtually all of Luna’s habitats and infrastructure are located underground, though view screens throughout the station serve as “windows” offering views of the lunar surface. Only Luna’s spaceport and access ports to the subterranean tunnels are above ground.
As Earth’s oldest non-terrestrial settlement, much of Luna Station is old and worn, though of course newer construction was added in the intervening centuries. A unique feature of Luna is the stink of gunpowder in the air that every visitor notices when they arrive, the result of lunar dust so fine it passes right through air filters.[1]
Luna's space port is located in the lunar city, Lovell. Lovell is home to the New Hague United Nations facilities. Outer Planets Command and the Outer Planets Governing Board are both located on Luna's surface.
Luna, displaying its man made establishments.
In orbit around Luna are the UN's primary military shipyards, the Bush shipyards, and many more stations orbit the moon. Lagrange stations occupy positions at Luna's Lagrange points.
Luna is a highly symbolic location: as a meeting spot for those who have chosen to leave the gravity well to meet with their family back on Earth, it is a potential icon for peaceful coexistence between the Inners and Outers.
Although heavily developed and populated, much of the structures are underground, and therefore not visible from space. The underground locations protects residents from micrometeoroid impacts and the effects of cosmic and solar radiation. Large ultra-high-definition view screens located throughout the Luna facilities simulate windows looking out upon the lunar surface.
Locations[]
| Location | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lovell | City | |
| Bush shipyards | Orbital military shipyards | |
| Mao Station | Private orbital station | |
| Luna supermax penal facility | High security prison |
Companies and Corporations[]
to right of the section title.
Trivia[]
- It's the second densest moon in the Solar system, after the Jovian moon of Io.
- Luna is drifting away from Earth every year by approximately 3.8 cm.
- Luna has "moonquakes" caused by the gravitational influence of Earth.
- It's the only spherical-shaped natural satellite orbiting a terrestrial planet.
- Whilst it is likely that historical lunar landing sites, such as the Apollo missions, have been visited on numerous occasions, how exactly so is unclear.
References
- ↑ The Expanse Roleplaying Game, chapter 8 - Earth