People on Earth

People on the Earth who support People on the Moon

It will take many types of people on Earth to support a successful lunar settlement. Many will have specific jobs or most will interact with people and robots on the Moon on a daily basis.

Do you see yourself in this list?

A separate list is available of People on the Moon who will support the lunar settlement and Types of Robots on the Moon.

This is a discussion of the possible types of people it will take to run a full scale lunar mining settlement such as the one described by Harrison Schmitt in Return to the Moon.

This list is also intended to help develop characters for stories about settling the Moon.

People on Earth

It will take many people back on Earth to support the lunar settlement. They may be called "Earthers".

The Company managers

• The Company is a conglomerate of aerospace companies that won the lunar mining contract
  • A publicly held company
• The public reports on He-3 production must be accurate
• The Company is both loved and hated by Mooners
• The managers do not tell the Mooners everything
• They are obsessed with He-3 mining
• They do almost all managing from Earth
• They want:
  • To make the lunar economy work
  • To become wealthy and powerful

NASA and other National Space Agencies Employees

• They have a long legacy of space expertise
• They are interested in science
• Their presence on the Moon is required by law
  • Commercial operation is only allowed under a national cover
• They are bureaucratic, political, and promote national interests
• They want to:
  • Make their nations look good
  • Make their nation's people feel good

Earth-Side Workers

• They live and work on Earth
• They are in almost continuous communication with the Moon
  • There is a 1.3 second communications delay each way
• Some work for The Company
  • These remotely operate mining robots
• Some work for the government
  • These support Astronauts
• Many are potential Miners
  • This work is a required experience before you can go to the Moon
• A few are potential settlers
• Some of them have physical challenges
  • They may work from wheelchairs
  • They may be blind and work by sound
• What they want:
  • To make a living
  • To be part of something big

Earth-Bound Enthusiasts

They may be called "Certified Space Cadets" or "Want-to-bes".

• Many are miner want-to-be
• Many are settler want-to-be
• Some run Lunarpedia
• Their participation is important in exercise sports
  • Mooners must exercise every day
  • Competitive sports on exercise machines make this bearable
  • The Mooners and Earth-bound people play together remotely
• Some are amateur astronomers supporting a small scope on Moon
• Some are Ham operators insuring an independent communication link to the Moon
• They are important in maintaining political support for the whole effort
• What they want:
  • To be part of something big and exciting
  • To go to the Moon

Disgruntles

• They applied for space positions and were turned down.
  • many for trivial reasons.
• May file legal suits.
• May bad-mouth entire program
• What they want:
  • Personal justice

People with Challenges

NASA is particularly interested in encouraging participation of people with physical challenges (AKA disabilities) in the back to the Moon mission.

The Rovers:

• They are Earth people
• Some are in wheelchairs
• They operate the rover style robots
• Their supervisor is in a wheelchair
• Software was developed to meet their special needs
• They are working hard to get one of their own to the Moon as a miner
• Sometimes others derogatorily referred to them as "Chairs"
• They want to:
  • Be a part of something real

The Sonics:

• Some are operators of small robots
  • that have limited vision but navigate with laser range finding
• Many Sonics are blind
• They run one class of robots used for house keeping (dust and sanitation)
  • A minor but necessary job
• They run one class used in the Cold and the Dark (polar craters)
  • They have very important to work at the poles
  • They work in total blackness
• Their robots minimally disturb the environment they are in
  • Walk on small, cold feet
• They are critical for some science and geology work
• They want to:
  • Be part of something real

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