SETTLING OFF EARTH
- transitioning to an ever expanding settlement -

As private individuals move off Earth, they will be giving up many of the conveniences that the Earth has to offer. Although settlers may be motivated for personal reasons to move, the settlement may need to provide a quality of life necessary for their spouses to agree to the move. So, what could be done to enhance the quality of life in an off-Earth settlement?

DESIGN
It will be important for the interior and exterior of the settlement and habitats to be designed in a very attractive manner. There are many things that the Earth has which a lunar settlement would lack. So, having a wonderful environment to live in may be an essential requirement especially for the spouses.

COMMUNICATIONS
Communications with Earth will be important for ensuring that settlers will stay connected with their friends and family. The Moon has a 2.6 second, round trip delay for communications. This isn't excessive and will be a large factor favoring the Moon over Mars. The communications systems would include Internet access, all of the cable channels, and phone & video calling. Telepresence from the Moon to Earth will allow lunar retirees to virtually attend the grandchildren's births, graduations, and marriages. It will also allow them to be virtually present at the bedside of a sick or dying loved one.

COMMUNITY
Another aspect to enhance the experience of living in an off-Earth settlement will be to have a wonderful community experience. For starters, this community would be the most exclusive of any in the solar system. to date. Only very successful people would live there and successful people are often very interesting to get to know.

Community meetings including town hall meetings, movies, musical and other performances, and worship services would be a regular part of the activities that the settlers could choose from.

ENTERTAINMENT
Certainly the Community activities fit for the elite could be scheduled with the more wealthy settlers sponsoring entertainment events such has paying for a well-known musician to perform via transmission from Earth. An Activities Coordinator could schedule a variety of activities which members of the community could choose to participate in.

FOOD
Food will be an important part in making the settlement attractive to the later private settlers. Most anything can be grown hydroponically or in an OrchardHab. The meats that can be easily grown include fish and chicken. Pork, beef, and lamb would take more effort and the care of livestock would need to take advantage of any labor-saving technology possible.

A top-notch menu plan would be needed in the common dining area and several RestaurantHabs would round out the dining experience. With creative culinary approaches, many types of food themes should be possible.

PETS
Many people are very attached to their pets and so it would be important to incorporate animals into the settlement setting. For those with allergies or dislike of animals, the "pet-friendly" area could be isolated from the rest of the settlement. Until children can be safely transported or born on the Moon, pets may serve as an important stand-in giving a lot of life to the community.

UNIQUE ACTIVITIES
The Moon's 1/6th gravity would create a unique environment that may be the major draw for settlement. Immediately upon arrival on the Moon, the settlers would experience a degree of physical freedom that they had never experienced before. Even senior citizens would be able to do back flips. Fitness habs could provide the opportunity to jump to great heights even running up the sides of walls. Physics even suggests that people could strap on wings and fly.

The dance classes would be ever popular as the Moon would allow a new type of dance far less constrained by gravity compared to Earth. Settlers could learn amazing dance routines and then perform them for their fellow settlers in the TheaterHab.

AMENITIES
In order to make it attractive especially to spouses of the later private settlers, the mature settlement will need to have a number of amenities so that the settlers won't feel deprived. Fortunately, very large, inflatable, specialty habitats can be shipped early on and easily set up thereby providing large amounts of room for any number of applications. Locally resources could be used to provide the material and equipment for these habitats. For amenities, these could include: gardens with large outdoor-like environment, a fitness center, large swimming pool, spa, restaurants, meeting and entertainment halls, and even a golf driving range. The idea that settlers would have to live in cramped aluminum habitats is simple untrue.

HEALTHCARE
Important for retirees is the availability and quality of healthcare. As described in this page, the medical personnel, facilities, and equipment would be made available according to their anticipated need and would largely draw from the international and early private settlers themselves.