Develop a game that simulates conditions in an off-Earth located permanent or temporary colony. The game could be a sandbox that offers the possibility to simulate various facilities that would support a reduced gravity environment far from earth’s atmosphere and magnetosphere. Users could be given power allowances, atmospheric conditions, and in situ resource options (using resources available on site for life support or other needs). The game could include a variety of scenarios including:

• Arranging a GPS-like system on the Moon or Mars to support navigation for the human inhabitants. The simulation could allow the users to explore different solutions such as a constellation of satellites, a network of masts or other Earth based methods at the challenger’s discretion.
• Players could build a habitat that could withstand the Lunar or Martian environment while also taking into consideration that its inhabitants need to have adequate power and supplies, be able to produce food, have locations sleep, live and work.
• Build a Virtual Moon telescope. The simulation could allow the user to conduct a research mission using a telescope on site near their habitat. Explore what instruments make sense for the location of the telescope (and what the user wants to observe). Game players could explore settings such as exposure times or wavelengths to observe. Observations could vary based on the position of the telescope on the Moon or Mars, and the relative position in the sky of the pointed object. After each simulated capture, show an appropriately generated image reflecting the exposure and wavelength settings.

Humans have lived on the International Space Station since November 2000, and the global space agencies of the world are working together to take humans beyond low Earth orbit. The longest human presence on the moon was a little more than 3 days. We have a lot to do to prepare for longer stays beyond the safety of Earth’s orbit. Engineers and scientists around the world are working hard to develop the technologies astronauts will use to one day live and work on Mars, and safely return home.

Teaming on location (wherever you choose as your location in outer space) or across space apps locations is encouraged for this challenge. Teams could focus on one aspect of this challenge and bring the simulations together to develop a robust app after the challenge is over.

GPS Systems:

Position in orbit or on land each individual satellite or mast and show the coverage areas depending on the chosen solution. If a constellation idea is chosen, the simulation would need to roughly take into account the orbital distortions a spacecraft would suffer due to Earth’s own gravitational pull.

Telescope:

When orbiting the moon, a satellite’s trajectory is constantly modified by many agents. One of them is related to Earth’s gravitational well that could require various mathematical compensations.

• The Moon has no atmosphere, therefore most of the electromagnetic rays from the Universe can be received from the lunar surface. In order for us to work on figuring out whether a Lunar observatory is feasible, it would be great to see what the challenges of setting one up would be.
• The telescope should be placed on the far side of the Moon otherwise radiation from Earth would interfere with most captures.
• One major problem related to long time exposure is related to the planet’s rotation taking the target out of view. On the Moon such a problem is reduced and longer exposure times are possible. The simulation should take that into account and show day by day what portion of the sky could be followed with what maximum exposure time.
• Depending on the type and the intended needs of their mission, telescopes can usually capture only a specific wavelength at a time, which correspond to visible light or some portion of the UV or infrared spectrum.