The Lunar Base
The year is 2035. Humankind continues to explore the universe. Recently, NASA and its international partners built a permanent base on the Moon. Eventually, NASA will launch manned missions to Mars from here. The main lunar base includes a living area and laboratory. Not far away, lunar astronauts and engineers are building a mine. The mine will produce ilmenite to extract oxygen and helium-3 to export back to Earth.

In addition, there is a mobile lab on its way to the lunar north pole for research. The lab has three modules, and each of them can be separated for transport. One module, the “Habot,” provides living quarters and basic research equipment. The other two are called “Mobitats.” They carry all the equipment and life support supplies for exploration. On any given day around 30 astronauts work and live on the Moon.

The Mission
On Mission Day all eyes turn to the amazing KC2035 comet. This newly found comet is passing close enough to Earth to be seen with the naked eye. Early reports indicate that it might even hit the Moon. However, the point of impact is expected be a safe distance from the lunar bases. The lunar astronauts are excited. This will be a rare opportunity to research comets and their impact as it happens.

Suddenly things take a turn. Mission Control gets alarming news. A group of amateur astronomers discover another comet within the tail of the first comet. This comet is darker and much smaller than KC2035. With only two images of the new comet in existence, any predictions about its trajectory are rough. The first estimates indicate that it will strike the Moon near the lunar bases in about five hours.

Working together, the teams have to determine if the comet will hit the Moon, when this might occur, where the impact will be, and how powerful the impact will be. Students will use math skills they learned during pre-mission lesson plans to calculate the area of a circle and various probabilities. All of this information will help Mission Control determine possible emergency plans. The mission requires three Emergency Response Teams, plus a Communications Team.

An Adventure Brought to Your Classroom
Target Moon joins the lineup of innovative distance learning programs offered by the Challenger Learning Center and the NASA-sponsored Classroom of the Future. Simulations are an interactive way for you to effectively use technology in the classroom. Research indicates that this way of learning leads to improved problem-solving and critical-thinking skills and teaches students the importance of teamwork and communication.

Shifting to digital learning is critical to the success of education in America. Target Moon creates an opportunity for you to apply various technologies and provides necessary digital content lacking in so many computer classrooms. The program's interactive nature also gives students a chance to experience distance learning through simulations, no matter how remote the school.

Good luck on your mission!