79. Will it be possible to play on the Moon and to take a moonwalk, play football, play baseball, skateboard in a crater, dance and sing? (A K2S Question)

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Sports will be played on the Moon just as on Earth. Because the Moon has no atmosphere many sports will be played under large domes or in large underground structures. If sports are played on the lunar surface then we will need to develop spacesuits much lighter and more durable than the current spacesuits. Many sporting events similar to those on Earth will be played on the Moon. However, there will be one big exception. The low gravity on the Moon means individuals will be able to leap far higher and run much faster than on Earth. Games like baseball and football would need very large enclosed areas because of the lower gravity. For example, a baseball on the Moon may be hit far longer distances than on Earth, perhaps as much as a mile. Basketball players will be able to leap five or six times as high on the Moon as on Earth. This means that stadiums for lunar sports will require very large domes. All kinds of new games can be invented on the Moon. Instead of snowboarding, folks on the Moon might have regoboarding which would involve sliding down the regolith on the sides of craters. It is likely that new extreme sports will drive a lot of technology advances in spacesuit design, just as extreme sports have driven clothing design on Earth. In the vacuum of the Moon bicycles could get up to 150 mph, but would need special tracks designed to minimize the consequences of wipeouts which could cause serious injuries at such high speeds. And just as on Earth, people on the Moon will also dance. However the very low lunar gravity would allow dancers to jump higher and do steps impossible on Earth. Ballet will be amazingly graceful, and there will be many new dances created that can only be done on the Moon. Singing will probably start out as sing-alongs among the small crews of the early bases, with accompaniment from a guitar someone managed to smuggle up on one of the supply runs. Musical instruments will be cherished and well-cared for, and would probably never be allowed to leave the Moon. This kid-friendly website has more detailed information: http://www.kidzworld.com/site/p802.htm (See CDROM)

Answer provided by Thomas Matula, Ph.D. & Kenneth J. Murphy

Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer