EnGen Institute 1992-2022
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I N S T I T U T E
LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS
TOTAL SUSTAINABILITY
GENERATIVE SYSTEMIC ENGINEERING OF ENGINEERED ENVIRONMENTS FOR LIFE SUPPORT
SPACEBASE RESEARCH The ENGEN research programe, commencing in 1982, was inspired by NASA’s 1980 Lunar Spacebase Architecture study NASA - Advanced Automation for Space Missions which proposed a self-constructing spacebase (Space Seed) using von Neumenn’s Theory of Self-Reproducing Automata. The study identified ‘design infinite regress’ as a roadblock issue and was unable to link von Neumann’s programmable Cellular Automata and unprogrammed Kinetic Automata approaches - see NASA TM- 78304 Self-Replicating Systems - A Systems Engineering Approach. ENGEN responded to a NASA Outreach Program in 1991 with solutions to these roadblock issues which NASA’s lead researcher, Georg von Tiesenhausen classified as breakthrough science. This initiated dialogue with the Australian Minister for Science, the USA Embassy in Australia and NASA HQ leading to the establishment of EnGen Institute and a proposed co-funded research program to develop a self- assembling biosphere on Deal Island in Australia, which was to be a permanent research facility. PERMANENT, INDEPENDENT SURVIVAL IN SPACE REQUIRES FIRST LEARNING - - HOW TO SURVIVE PERMANENTLY, INDEPENDENTLY ON EARTH! However, as a result of government, leadership and policy changes in both countries, neither the Australian nor USA funding eventuated. EnGen Institute continued its systemics-design-automation research focused on designing disaster resilient structures and an Earthbase with integral life support systems and closed-cycle automated assembly & repair of recyclable stuctures & infrastructure. EnGen Institute has developed Constructor Engineering and extended the underlying theory of such systems beyond von Neumann’s theory, in which self-replication is the only systemic characteristic, to Cellanics (cellular organic systemics) - a general theory of systemic characteristics in nature, cells, organisms, machines and built structures such as houses and cities. This approach provides a free-enterprise path to addressing climate change, in which self-interest & common-interest are aligned. This design of multi-hazard disaster resilient structures & infrastructure is most relevant when the risks and impacts are high such as Chernobyl, Fukushima, pandemics, etc.
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DISASTER RESILIENCE
A 1980 NASA Lunar Spacebase Arcitecture study described teleoperated spacebase construction from an initial 100 ton ‘ Space Seed’ that mined and processed lunar materials to construct all the machines, structures and biosphere habitat for astronauts to later occupy with all the plants required for life support. To achieve this 6-Star Survival System NASA proposed using Constructor Technology based on computer pioneer John von Neumann’s Theory of Universal Construction .
Spacebase Design and Sustainability