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Economic Times
09-08-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
Meet Chrysalis: The starship that could take 2,400 humans to Alpha Centauri, nearest star system in 400 years
Chrysalis spacecraft: A new spaceship design has won a prize. The spaceship is named Chrysalis. It is designed for a long journey to Alpha Centauri. The journey will take 400 years. The ship will carry 2,400 people. Generations will live and die on the ship. The ship will have homes, schools, and farms. It will be a self-sustaining society. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What Is Chrysalis and How Far Will It Travel? Training for Life in Space: Preparing the First Generation Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What's Inside Chrysalis? FAQs Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A spaceship capable of transporting 2,400 humans on a multigenerational, one-way trip to Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to our own, got the first prize in the Project Hyperion Design Competition, as per a report. The theoretical vessel, named 'Chrysalis', would take approximately 400 years to cover its 25-trillion-mile journey, according to the engineers who designed it, as reported by no one living today would ever step foot on its terminus, the design conceives of a future in which generations would live and die upon a spaceship, a moving civilization in transit, as it would take 400 years to reach Alpha Centauri, according to the designers envisioned it not only as a vessel, but as a sustaining society, according to the report. The travelers would be pioneers of another sort, children born in space who had never known Earth, and will house several generations of people until it enters the star system, where it could shuttle them to the surface of the planet Proxima Centuri b, an Earth-size exoplanet that is thought to be potentially habitable, as reported by READ: Skipping iPhone 17 Pro? Here's every juicy rumor about the iPhone 18 Pro so far To train the people boarding the ship, the first generation would spend 70 to 80 years in seclusion in Antarctica as the environment would ensure psychological wellbeing, according to the vessel will potentially be 36 miles (58 kilometers) long, and Chrysalis will be designed as a gigantic Russian nesting doll, with encasing habitats that envelop a core, as per the Livescience report. These encasings would house all of the necessities of human existence: homes, schools, parks, farms, and even forests, where every segment would be powered by theoretical nuclear fusion generators, according to the the center of the ship are shuttles and all the communication equipment, the heart of this mobile world, as per the report. The layer closest to the core is expected to be used to produce food, everything from crops and fungi to animals and insects, keeping a delicately balanced ecosystem, as per the Livescience second level would accommodate communal living, with libraries, hospitals, and space for study and play, according to the report. The residential level follows, planned with ventilation and climate control for each home, as per the Livescience report. Beyond that are the areas for industry, recycling, and production, as per the report. The outer shell would contain the gear, raw materials, and machinery, probably maintained by robots, according the READ: Who is Patrick Joseph White, Georgia gunman who killed 2, and what was his motive? Chrysalis would only be sustainable for a population of about 1,500 individuals, and births would be planned accordingly, as per the project engineers said that, those responsible for the ship's governance would collaborate with artificial intelligence, "allowing for resilience of the whole social system, better knowledge transfer between the different generations of inhabitants and a deeper vision of the overall dynamics of the Chrysalis spaceship complex," as quoted in the Livescience the entire plan is purely hypothetical, as some of the required technology, like commercial nuclear fusion reactors, doesn't yet exist, but projects like this one can still add to the existing knowledge base and help engineers improve upcoming designs, as reported by prepare mentally for the isolation and challenges of space controlled environments with plants, fungi, insects, and livestock.
Time of India
09-08-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Meet Chrysalis: The starship that could take 2,400 humans to Alpha Centauri, nearest star system in 400 years
Chrysalis spacecraft : A spaceship capable of transporting 2,400 humans on a multigenerational, one-way trip to Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to our own, got the first prize in the Project Hyperion Design Competition, as per a report. The theoretical vessel, named 'Chrysalis', would take approximately 400 years to cover its 25-trillion-mile journey, according to the engineers who designed it, as reported by Livescience. What Is Chrysalis and How Far Will It Travel? Although no one living today would ever step foot on its terminus, the design conceives of a future in which generations would live and die upon a spaceship, a moving civilization in transit, as it would take 400 years to reach Alpha Centauri, according to the report. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Chrysalis designers envisioned it not only as a vessel, but as a sustaining society, according to the report. The travelers would be pioneers of another sort, children born in space who had never known Earth, and will house several generations of people until it enters the star system, where it could shuttle them to the surface of the planet Proxima Centuri b, an Earth-size exoplanet that is thought to be potentially habitable, as reported by Livescience. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Here's The Price of a 1-Day Walk-in Shower In 2025 Homebuddy Learn More Undo ALSO READ: Skipping iPhone 17 Pro? Here's every juicy rumor about the iPhone 18 Pro so far Training for Life in Space: Preparing the First Generation To train the people boarding the ship, the first generation would spend 70 to 80 years in seclusion in Antarctica as the environment would ensure psychological wellbeing, according to the report. Live Events What's Inside Chrysalis? The vessel will potentially be 36 miles (58 kilometers) long, and Chrysalis will be designed as a gigantic Russian nesting doll, with encasing habitats that envelop a core, as per the Livescience report. These encasings would house all of the necessities of human existence: homes, schools, parks, farms, and even forests, where every segment would be powered by theoretical nuclear fusion generators, according to the report. At the center of the ship are shuttles and all the communication equipment, the heart of this mobile world, as per the report. The layer closest to the core is expected to be used to produce food, everything from crops and fungi to animals and insects, keeping a delicately balanced ecosystem, as per the Livescience report. The second level would accommodate communal living, with libraries, hospitals, and space for study and play, according to the report. The residential level follows, planned with ventilation and climate control for each home, as per the Livescience report. Beyond that are the areas for industry, recycling, and production, as per the report. The outer shell would contain the gear, raw materials, and machinery, probably maintained by robots, according the Livescience. ALSO READ: Who is Patrick Joseph White, Georgia gunman who killed 2, and what was his motive? Chrysalis would only be sustainable for a population of about 1,500 individuals, and births would be planned accordingly, as per the report. The project engineers said that, those responsible for the ship's governance would collaborate with artificial intelligence, "allowing for resilience of the whole social system, better knowledge transfer between the different generations of inhabitants and a deeper vision of the overall dynamics of the Chrysalis spaceship complex," as quoted in the Livescience report. However, the entire plan is purely hypothetical, as some of the required technology, like commercial nuclear fusion reactors, doesn't yet exist, but projects like this one can still add to the existing knowledge base and help engineers improve upcoming designs, as reported by Livescience. FAQs Why do the first travelers spend time in Antarctica? To prepare mentally for the isolation and challenges of space life. How will food be grown on the ship? In controlled environments with plants, fungi, insects, and livestock.
Time of India
30-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
A magical golden penguin was caught on camera; here's why it looks like that
During an expedition to South Georgia Island, Yves Adams, a Belgian wildlife photographer, captured the first-ever documented images of a leucistic king penguin with bright yellow plumage. This rare genetic mutation, affecting pigment distribution, resulted in the penguin's unique golden appearance among a colony of 120,000. Nature has a way of surprising us in the most unexpected moments. Just when we think we've seen everything, something so rare and breathtaking comes up that it stops us in our tracks. Whether it's a once-in-a-lifetime animal sighting or an unexplainable natural phenomenon. Wildlife photography often brings these wonders to light, capturing not just images but stories, and questions that science is still working to answer. It also reminds us of the fragile balance in which wildlife exists. One such moment stirred curiosity across the world when a Belgian wildlife photographer, Yves Adams, had the rarest stroke of luck during a two‑month expedition to South Georgia Island. He captured images of a king penguin with bright yellow plumage, a creature that had never been seen before. Among a massive colony of roughly 120,000 standard black-and-white King Penguins, one stood out for its golden feathers shimmering like sunlight on ice. Photos taken of the bird only surfaced a year later, surprising people around the world with its ethereal beauty. The moment was unexpected and magical. 'One of the birds looked really strange, and when I looked closer, it was yellow,' Adams later told The Independent. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brain tumor has left my son feeling miserable; please help! Donate For Health Donate Now Undo 'We all went crazy when we realised. We dropped all the safety equipment and grabbed our cameras'. What caused the unusual appearance of the penguin? King penguins normally wear a classic tuxedo of black and white with patches of yellow at their necks. But this particular bird lacked melanin in its black feathers, turning them instead into shades of yellow and cream, which is identified as leucism. According to Livescience, experts like conservation biologist Dee Boersma and ecologist Hein van Grouw confirmed that the bird is most likely leucistic, not albino. Boersma explained, 'This penguin is lacking some pigment so it is [leucistic]. True albinos have lost all pigment' . With some subtle brown tones retained in certain feathers, the bird may be described using terms such as ino, a European term for a partial pigment oxidation fault, though definitions vary across regions (Audubon). What is Leucism? Leucism in penguins is extraordinarily rare; estimates suggest it occurs in between 1 in 20,000 and 1 in 146,000 individuals, fitting the luck of stumbling upon one during Adams's trip (Bored Panda). Its exceptional colour could make survival more difficult, as the normal dark-on-back, light-on-belly shade helps to camouflage penguins from predators both from above and below the water surface. It is a rare condition that causes animals to lose some or all of the pigment in their skin, feathers, or fur. Unlike albinism, which completely blocks melanin production and often results in pink eyes, leucism only affects the distribution of pigment, so animals can still have normal-colored eyes and beaks. In birds, this can lead to patches of white feathers or, in rare cases, an entirely pale or unusual shade. The pigment cells still exist, but they don't work properly when forming colour in certain areas. It's a natural genetic mutation and doesn't usually harm the animal.
New York Post
01-05-2025
- Science
- New York Post
Scientist reveals odds that failed Soviet satellite Kosmos 482 crash is deadly
Heads up! It's not just asteroids that are threatening to rock our world. A defunct Soviet satellite is slated to hurtle back to Earth next week, prompting concerns from space experts that we could potentially be in the line of fire. The unit 'might well survive Earth atmosphere entry and hit the ground,' warned British-American astronomer Jonathan McDowell in a blog post. 'In which case, I expect it'll have the usual one-in-several-thousand chance of hitting someone.' 3 Scientists warn that risks involved are not zero. ESA/David Ducross Launched in March 1972 by the USSR, the Kosmos 482 probe was dispatched to gather data from Venus' inhospitable surface, Livescience reported. However, due to a malfunction with one of the rocket boosters, the intergalactic recon machine was left stranded in Earth's orbit — literally spiraling out of control. The dead spacecraft — which is around the size of a car — is now on track for reentry sometime between May 7 and 13, give or take a few days. Marco Langbroek, a Dutch space expert who discovered the lander's impending comeback tour, speculated in a blog post that it is possible that the satellite could penetrate Earth's forcefield and 'impact intact' because it was designed to 'survive passage' through Venus' fiery atmosphere. He reportedly even concocted a model for the errant spacecraft's reentry, which clocks the wreckage's end velocity at 145 miles per hour-plus on the ground or ocean impact, reported. MacDowell analogized this phenomenon to 'a car falling out of the air at 100 to 200 miles per hour.' 3 The Venera 4, a Venus probe that was the first to transmit data from the atmosphere of another planet. NASA And while Langbroek noted that the probe was equipped with a parachute, he 'wouldn't bet on that working now, and would assume that, if it survives re-entry, it would come down hard.' 'With a mass of just under 500 kg (around 1,100 pounds) and 1-meter (over 3 feet) size, risks are similar to that of a meteorite impact,' he deduced. Thankfully, we don't need to brace for deep impact just yet, per Langbroek, who pointed out that the 'risks involved are not particularly high, but not zero.' 3 The Venera 4, an earlier prototype. The Kosmos 482 ''might well survive Earth atmosphere entry and hit the ground,' warned British-American astronomer Jonathan McDowell in a blog post. NASA MacDowell seconded this assurance that we likely won't get struck by the 'dense but inert' space junk as most of the world is not inhabited by people. 'If you land something in a random part of the Earth, the chance that it hits a person is about one in 10,000,' the expert told the Daily Mail. 'The chance that it hits you is then one in 10 billion – smaller than that.' He quipped in the blog post, 'No need for major concern, but you wouldn't want it bashing you on the head.' As for where the haywire hardware will potentially land, Langbroek speculated that it could strike 'anywhere between 52 degrees north and 52 degrees south latitude,' an area that encompasses 'much of south and mid-latitude Europe and Asia, as well as the Americas and the whole of Africa and Australia.' 'Of course, the biggest chances are that it will land in one of the oceans,' he said. In the event that the errant satellite does 'cause damage – or worse, to hurt someone – that would be something that the Russian government would be liable for,' said MacDowell. Kosmos 482 was designed as a sister probe to Venera 8, which launched in July 1972 and landed on Venus's sweltering surface, becoming the second-ever spacecraft to do so. The satellite then transmitted data from Venus for just over 50 minutes before ultimately combusting in the fiery environment.
