I don't see how you would get better sunlight at the poles.
It's called a [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_of_Eternal_Light"]Peak of Eternal Light[/ame]. Pretty advantageous for a base operating on solar power, the long lunar nights can be troublesome. :thumbup:
Temperature gradients at the poles are also slightly less bad, AFAIK.
Does anyone have a good map of the moon?
I'm sure there are several good ones on the 'net (NASA might be a good start). It's a pity you can't go onto Google Moon, as it can be useful for preliminary scouting at least, and can be great fun.
You would put the settlement on the north rim of the crater, to maximize sunlight.
I don't see how that would help, as the axial tilt of the Moon is quite low. Unless I'm missing a crucial aspect of sunlighting on the lunar surface.
Then you'll have to go to the poles, and it might be tricky to get at it even there. I wouldn't waste it on rocket fuel or something like that, it's better used in a closed ecological system.
Would they be big glass terraformed domes? Would there be hydroponics indoors?
I think it would be generally safer to have hydroponics indoors, both for radiation, micrometeorite and thermal protection. AFAIK there shouldn't be any problem with raising either plants or animals in such an environment, if everything was balanced correctly.
I find the idea of a "moon-dome" romantic, but I don't think it is practical for early level food production. Everything should be standardised and have multiple uses- an underground room to grow tomatoes could be used as a dormitary, or a production facility, or a mess hall.
How do you get fertilizer to the moon? Is it just recycled poop?
Pretty much. Stuff like this should be conserved and reused within the habitat. It isn't like organics are particularly abundant on the Moon.
You would have to have livestock on the moon.
There's also the possibility of [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_vitro_meat"]in-vitro meat[/ame] which saves a lot of the trouble of keeping livestock (imagine getting a cow to the Moon with current equipment).
But keeping live animals should be looked at- and not just animals like cows or poultry, but fish and even shellfish.
In addition to animals and higher plants, algae, specifically spirulina, could be considered for both CO2 scrubbing, waste treatment and food, although I've heard it contains a certain chemical that could make it unsuitable for the latter. Either way it is still a very advantageous organism to have.
Perhaps another method would be "greening" walls and ceilings with different species of plants, primarily food-bearing plants. Or making certain parts of the rooms blue- both blue and green are lacking on the Moon.
And perhaps there should be safeguards against solipsism setting in on the base's inhabitants.
What other facilities might you need?
Airlocks, repair rooms for outside equipment, recreation rooms, auditoriums or theaters (briefing rooms perhaps, or reconfigurable as a mess hall), and a viewing deck.
And if you have a bit of water to waste, perhaps even a small swimming pool.