Or - Finding Ways to do More with Less.

When your ambitions are nothing less than the establishment of a genuine, self-supporting settlement on the Moon, and yet so much of the preliminary work goes unspoken for, the dream list of "must-do" or "must-find-someone-to-do" projects mushrooms out of sight.

What can the Lunar Reclamation Society do? We already take every opportunity to highlight orphaned R&D projects and urge on those with entrepreneurial and other appropriate talents. In Moon Miners' Manifesto, we try to expose the various problems, the challenges involved, and point out what needs to be done for various areas where our technology is underdeveloped. At conferences, we offer to put on brainstorming workshops to push various development issues to the fore. We collaborate with others better poised than us to undertake promising endeavors. We try not to miss a trick in spurring on others to do what we cannot undertake.

Some extremely worthwhile projects, like pre-developing glass-glass composite technologies for profit-now terrestrial applications ("spin-up"), are completely beyond our means - all we can do is contribute a good start on business plans for such endeavors.

We have to look for more humble contributions, such as the Lunar Painting Project. We have to leave the $100K+ projects for others and look for under $100 projects which nonetheless have the power to encourage and stimulate others. So currently the plan is to undertake more such Lunar Appropriate Art Media development projects. This may be the most productive avenue for the time being as it requires the least money and the least manpower to do some interesting and useful experimental work.

We also hope to post replication instructions for our various homegrown display items, so that what efforts we have been able to make in public outreach will be multiplied elsewhere. For this purpose, we have created the Space Chapters Hub website. An example of such a contribution is the instructions for making a set of "Gravity Jugs" - posted 9|19|2002. More to come. In short, we wish to concentrate on creating resources that other "space" chapters can use, chapters of NSS, of the Moon Society, and of the Mars Society.

With more people, especially people with talent, energy, and free time, and with a fund drive here and there, we could do more. We could, for example:

• Undertake more ambitious publishing endeavors in hopes of reaching more people, turning on more minds, especially young minds
• Conduct National Design Competitions highlighting technology and design problems and challenges, in hopes of flushing out new approaches and solutions - examples
  • A Lunar and/or Martian Motorcycle - After all, Milwaukee is the world Headquarters for Harley Davidson, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2003
  • Ways to outfit hbrid rigid-inflatable "donut" structures like TransHab with pull-out, pull-down, pop-up features built into the rigid "works core"
• Start building the University of Luna -Earthside™ cyber-campus to keep track of research completed, research underway, and research needing adoption - and more
• Start a Venture Capital Fund for SPace Education And Research projects [SPEAR™] and small entrepreneurial starts, funded by estate bequests, even "tithes" of the specially committed

Challenges facing our growing display collection

One of our ongoing efforts has been adding to our ample display collection. For ISDC '98, we had hoped to field an extensive Lunar Homestead Exhibit, and indeed, we did create three additional exhibits as a down payment. A problem has emerged, however. We cannot build more exhibits without first finding a place to store them (the present site is full) and ways to transport them to various display events. Right now, additional models and displays are on hold for both reasons.

A Favorite Pipe Dream?

Yes we have one. Our own headquarters (rent free, while we're dreaming), complete with display area (we have a version to fit every size major bequest), theater, conference rooms, library, art gallery, store, etc. And a staff of faithful volunteers. Hey, why not?

HELP! We can put your talents to work!

• Illustrator for Moon Miners' Manifesto and LRS display projects
• Cartoonist for Moon Miners' Manifesto
• Model Makers
• Grant Proposal Writer
• Publicity Person