"Copernicus
Construction Company"
is the whimsical name of LRS' informal
brainstorming sub group. CCC has meet irregularly
since fall '88.
What are we into?
For the fun of it, we brainstorm about the concrete
future in space. First we try to define a problem or
design challenge in all its aspects. Only after we have
done this conceptual homework, so that we know what we
are trying to design, then we explore all the various
design options and make some choices or recommendations.
It's fun! It's work!
To date: • We
designed a self-supporting Lunar Settlement for 3,000
(and came in 2nd in a national competition). • We
brainstormed low-threshold low-cost Lunar 'Hostels' and
'amphibious' space/surface vehicles to visit them (and
presented a paper on both at the '91 International Space
Development Conference.) • We designed a doable
Earth-Moon 'cycling' cruise-ship-hotel to ferry 200
settlers or tourists back and forth in comfort (and
published our design in a national space newsletter.)
• We looked at the possibilities for railroading on
the Moon and at over-the-road long distance truck rigs
there.
Looking
ahead, we're
considering defining and co-hosting a design
competition for modular large-volume low-cost lunar
farming modules and "hybrid" rigid-inflatable structures.
We'd like to design cities for Mars and outposts in the
asteroids and a tourist complex on a moon of Saturn as
well as resorts in low-Earth orbit.
In
addition
to our brainstorming
group we want to put together a
modeling group to
illustrate our concepts in 3D and an
outreach group to
take all this around to schools etc. We're
all about having busy, industrious, fun.
Completed &
Published Define & Design Efforts
© '88-9 - Prinzton,
a triple village rille vault settlement for 3,000
people. Award winner in a 1989 NSS Design
Competition. Published in MMM's #s 26-29; 31-32 -- Eight
Participants in this effort. Republished with new
illustrations, January 2005 in MMM
Classics - Year 3 and MMM
Classics - Year 4 (pdf files)
© '90-1 - The
Lunar Hostel: an alternative concept for first
beachead & secondary outposts. Published in the
1991 San Antonio ISDC Proceedings and in MMM's #s 48-50
-- Four Participants
© '92 - The
Frontier Builder: an Earth-Moon Hotel Cruise
Ship, MMR # 12 -- Two Participants
© '93 - Railroading
on the Moon, MMR #13 -- Four Participants
© '94 - Special Purpose Lunar Vehicles.
MMM # 79-81 -- Two Participants
© '95 - Reinventing
Space Oases, MMM # 87 -- Three Participants
© '96 - The
Use of Lunar Lavatubes, MMM # 100 -- Two
Participants
WE NEED YOU: While we
have not produced any papers in 1997 or 1998, we continue
to meet informally, hoping to pick up more participants
so that we will have a critical mass to get into some
real mischief.
We had been meeting at Peter Kokh's home
[map],
in Milwaukee, and may occasionally still meet
there.]
CALL Peter Kokh at
(414) 342-0705, or
write him at 1630 N. 32nd Street, Milwaukee WI 53208, or
email 
for more information and to discuss possibilities and the
curiosities, interests, talents, and energies you might
bring to our group activity. You can participate by mail,
email, or even by internet. So if you have the interest,
do not let irreguarity of free time discourage you from
joining in.
5|14|2005
