Fellowship Research Showcase | Overlap: Multi-actor simulation of lunar ground missions

Governance frameworks for the Moon have never been tested in-situ. Without empirical data on how real stakeholders operate under existing norms and respond to the realities of operating in the lunar environment, governance frameworks rest on assumptions.

In this research fellowship showcase, 2026 Open Lunar Fellow Vic Paulson presented her work on Designated Lunar Areas (DLAs) and Overlap, a digital simulation sandbox for testing DLA governance regimes at the lunar south pole. The discussion covered what behavioral data from real stakeholders can tell us about how DLA governance frameworks actually hold up when theory meets the surface, which complements and builds upon Open Lunar's ongoing work in tabletop simulations for lunar governance.