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Luna was the first off-world colony established. The discovery of water on Luna, the discovery of huge underground volcanic “bubbles” which could be converted to habitats, and the development of polywell fusion reactors, all paved the way for the original small outposts to grow rapidly. Luna Colony was originally overseen directly by the United Nations, but later the Luna Council was established as an independent government.
The “dome” habitats of Luna are entirely underground, defying the popular image of geodesic domes on the surface – which would be vulnerable to radiation, meteorite impacts, or simple air leakage. Instead the habitats have been constructed in spherical chambers far underground. Most of these chambers were the product of ancient volcanic activity. The bottom half of the chamber is typically filled in, leaving a dome-shaped hemisphere to be inhabited.
Early in Luna Colony's history, many visitors complained about not being able to see much on the ground above the domes, and certainly nothing that looked like a dome. Eventually the Luna Council ordered the construction of fake domes on the surface. These domes are nothing more than gigantic masses of aerogel, and are not even located directly above the actual habitats. However, they've served a useful purpose in placating tourists, and have become a iconic landmarks of Luna.
The largest habitats were Alpha Dome, Beta Dome and Gamma Dome. Smaller domes were used for storage and industrial or commercial facilities. One of the most notable was Sigma Dome, which has long been the site of an important biological archive and research project known as Ark II.
There are some other facilities on the surface of the moon, including the spaceport. The huge radio telescopes of Drake Observatory are located on the “far side” of the moon, opposite from Earth and the dome habitats.
Ever since the Apocalypse War, Luna has been the traditional center of recom civilization. The Space Defense Force (SDF) has always been based on Luna, and it has also been responsible for maintaining the quarantine on nearby Earth. Luna has always had a very diverse population with all types of recoms mixing freely, and a high tolerance for mutants, eccentric lifestyles, and exotic subcultures which might not be so easily tolerated on – for example – Mars. Luna also has a history of stable government and the rule of law, and a strong record of civil rights. However, its government does tend towards socialist programs, centralized planning and extensive bureaucracy.
Luna is particularly popular as a home for winged recoms. The low gravity – about 1/6th G – combines with full atmosphere inside the spacious dome habitats to make a perfect environment for bird and bat recoms to spread their wings.