Moon Base Alpha/NASA Johnson Space Center

Sept. 1, 2004

Take Me to the Moon

For more than 100 years, science fiction authors have written stories imagining people living on the moon. Many of these stories have been about the technology needed to survive on the moon and the dangers of life in this extreme environment. Others have asked the question: Why would people want to live there at all? And some of the very best stories have looked at how people who call the moon home might become different from people still on Earth.

Moon Base Alpha

NASA Johnson Space Center

Several countries are now seriously engaged in the science that will let them establish the first human communities on the moon. In fact, some of you may get the chance to live there yourselves. What would that be like? How might you be changed by the experience? Answering the following questions may give you some ideas.

1. You're leaving Earth for the moon colony tomorrow. You may take two personal items. You can pick anything you want, as long as each item meets the following criteria:

• The item must be something you can easily pick up and carry.
• The item must be something you can use or enjoy on the moon.
• The item should be something that will remind you of Earth.
• For each item that could be useful to other people on the moon, you may choose and bring one extra item for yourself, but you can bring no more than a total of five personal items.
• For each item that would require water, air, food, or some other life-support resource, you must leave one item behind.

2. Imagine you have been living on the moon for 6 months. You're allowed to send home one item from the moon and, in return, may ask for one item to be sent to you from Earth. What would you pick? Consider the following aspects before you decide.

• Is it better to return something that you brought to the moon from Earth and no longer need or want, or to send something from the Moon that you found or made? Why?
• What would you ask to have sent to you? Why do you think you'll have missed this item while on the moon for 6 months?

This week's recommended scifi books

Art gallery

Talk Back: Do you have any comments about this challenge? Send them to us using the form below.

I have my parent's permission to submit this.
First name:		Age:
City:		State:	AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY
E-mail:
Comment: