manner that is commensurate with the goals and purposes of lunar society. The panel felt that lunar society should be allowed to develop its own, unique, organization structure and social control system, incorporating appropriate elements from Earth and from previously developed space station cultures, that will evolve toward a system which most appropriately meets the needs of people who must survive in the lunar environment. The very high, up-front, developmental costs of lunar bases can be justified only by ensuring that they will continue to provide the resources and services, to Earth, for which they were originally conceived. This may tempt planners to place limits upon the degree of self-sufficiency and independence that is permitted to develop in lunar bases through such means as worker crew rotation, the absence of family facilities to preclude development of a permanent lunar population, designed dependence upon Earth for certain life-support resources, or threats to destroy lunar bases that refuse to provide services and resources to Earth. The panel considered such measures undesirable and favoured dependence upon cultural, family and economic ties with Earth to ensure that politically independent lunar communities continue to provide desired services. Capital investments should be depreciated until the initial costs have been recouped and a reasonable profit realized; after this the lunar community should have the option of declaring independence and nationalizing lunar facilities. Contractual arrangements would then ensure continuation of services and development of future commercial ventures. 5. Safety Factors Life at Lunar Base is likely to be hazardous—a situation which may give rise to value conflicts related to self, family and community survival. The panel felt that it would be probable for community survival to take precedence over individual and family survival and that hoarding of survival resources by individuals or families should not be permitted. Lunar habitats should be designed in such a way that entire sections can be sealed off from the remainder of the base. Emergency resources should be dispersed throughout the base in order to maximize the probability for survival of isolated groups until rescue becomes possible. Forecast Conclusions and Speculations The Delphi panel recognized the role played by society and culture in enabling humans to survive in a hostile physical environment and in modification of the environment in a way that will enhance the human condition. It was also recognized that society and culture are environment-specific to some extent; i.e., each unique physical environment will be characterized by an appropriately unique social environment. It is to be expected, therefore, that the human condition in extraterrestrial space will be a function of a social environment that differs, in important respects, from social environments that are found on Earth. Several factors that will influence development of the extraterrestrial social environment were identified by the panel: (1) the nature of the natural physical environment and the extent to which it is hostile or friendly; (2) the gravity condition; (3) the cultural characteristics that are brought to the new environment by the immigrant population;
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