Copernicus

Copernicus is a human colony on the Moon. Its sister city is Tycho.

History

2002 - 2010s

Founded at the bottom of the eponymous crater in 2002 by the European Space Agency, Copernicus was created to become the second permanent colony on the Moon, Tycho being the first.

Over the following years, the small colony was increased in size by using atomic laser drills and controlled explosives, hollowing the ground and creating a network of subsurface glass-like tunnels and caverns. The ceilings were reinforced with layers of molten lunar sand that was also used to create the glass covering the geodesic pressure domes found at the top of the caverns. With the terrain ready, colonists began to mine for lunar ice which was subsequently recycled to be potable. Plant life was brought in to create hydroponic gardens to provide oxygen, allowing the sunlight to rain over the plants by opening and closing huge shutters on the surface.

By the early 2010s, Copernicus had grown into a small bustling town that maintained control over one mass driver that was used to boost lunar rocks and ores out to the Lagrange points construction sites around the Earth.

2020s - 2040s

By the 2020s, much of the area around Copernicus was dedicated to mining for resources, however that didn't stop them from living comfortable lives. Due to only having control over one mass driver and being a smaller settlement in general when compared to Tycho, the population here was usually more friendly and outgoing.

At some point during the Time of the Red and before 2045, the European Space Agency lost control of both Moon colonies to the Highrider Confederation, a group who had formed in the 2020s after gaining their independence from the ESA, and with their homes in the O'Neill One and Two space colonies. Ever since their independence, the ESA and the Highriders have tussled over the political and economical control of the space around Earth, including the Moon and its colonies.

2070s

By the 2070s, Copernicus was a popular touristic destination, but not as much as the sister colony of Tycho. Copernicus was especially famous for its zero-gravity pools. The city also offered transportation to and back from Tycho. The colony was also known for its steady mining business, with the mass driver allowing transportation of raw materials to the nearby Crystal Palace and Earth. The Lunar colonies were not as secure as the many space stations around the Moon and Earth.

Locations

• 1 mass driver
• Zero-gravity pools

Associated Shards

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Notes

• The team that built the colony's life support systems would later form the Terra Nova corporation.

Gallery

• 
  In Near Orbit
• 
  In Deep Space