"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
