YA novel from pre-1980 set on the moon in which a boy is rescued by space gypsies

Question

This was the first science fiction novel I completed reading on my own some 36 years ago. Unfortunately the details are very sketchy indeed, but here's what I think I remember:

• It was a hard back library book
• The book was 100 pages long (perhaps exactly or just over)
• I read it some time pre-1980, possibly in 1979 but it may not have been new then
• It would've been classified as a "Children's Book" back then, but would be YA or Middle Grade now
• The POV character was a young boy of about 10-12 years of age
• It was set on the Moon
• The boy is rescued by some space gypsies
• He is befriended by a young space gypsy girl with dark hair
• When he is returned to his family, his parents are very prejudiced against the gypsies.
• A scene fragment of transferring from a lunar rover to the entrance tunnel to a lunar base
• A scene fragment of the boy looking at a computer screen and seeing someone who reminds him of the girl

Like so many here, this is a long term unscratchable itch that I'd love to soothe. Many thanks in advance for any clues or pointers.

Answer 1

Except for "set on the Moon", every plot detail mentioned is a good match for Nicholas Fisk's "Flamers" (a.k.a "Escape from Splatterbang"). The novel was set on Splatterbang, a planet with an atmosphere unbreathable to humans, a dying ecosystem, and some very dangerous native life forms: the titular "Flamers", which resembled living fireballs that were attracted to and consumed metal. The boy and the girl were named Mykl and Amina respectively. The base in which Mykl takes refuge after being marooned on Splatterbang is operated by an AI named "Ego". After learning Mykl's name, Ego says that it's a very old name that used to be spelled "Michael". The scene with the image of the girl on the monitor occurs in the base, before he meets Amina. Ego says that the image is old data that shouldn't be there, but offers to give her a voice and personality as a companion for Mykl. The first attempt to rescue Mykl and Amina failed because the cable used to lower the rescue pod was made of metal and was attacked and consumed by the Flamers. Another detail that I remember is that spacesuits were usually equipped with a device called a "strong right arm" that provided enhanced strength; in one scene, Mykl uses it to break a mechanical lock with his thumb.