Latest news with #ProjectHyperion
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Proposed spacecraft could carry up to 2,400 people on a one-way trip to the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Engineers have designed a spacecraft that could take up to 2,400 people on a one-way trip to Alpha Centauri, the star system closest to our own. The craft, called Chrysalis, could make the 25 trillion mile (40 trillion kilometer) journey in around 400 years, the engineers say in their project brief, meaning many of its potential passengers would only know life on the craft. Chrysalis is designed to 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. The project won first place in the Project Hyperion Design Competition, a challenge that requires teams to design hypothetical multigenerational ships for interstellar travel. Life on the Chrysalis Before boarding the ship, the Chrysalis project would require initial generations of ship inhabitants to live in and adapt to an isolated environment in Antarctica for 70 to 80 years to ensure psychological wellbeing. The ship could theoretically be constructed in 20 to 25 years and retains gravity through constant rotation. The vessel, which would measure 36 miles (58 km) in length, would be constructed like a Russian nesting doll, with several layers encompassing each other around a central core. The layers include communal spaces, farms, gardens, homes, warehouses and other shared facilities, each powered by nuclear fusion reactors. The core in the center of the vehicle hosts the shuttles that could bring people to Proxima Centuri b, as well as all of Chrysalis' communication equipment. Related: Will we ever reach Alpha Centauri, our closest neighboring star system? The layer closest to Chrysalis' core is dedicated to food production, nurturing plants, fungi, microbes, insects and livestock in controlled environments. To preserve biodiversity, different environments including tropical and boreal forests would be maintained. The second level from the center provides communal spaces, like parks, schools, hospitals and libraries, for the ship's inhabitants. The next shell would then hold dwellings for individual households, equipped with air circulation and heat exchangers. Work happens on the next level up, where there are facilities for industries ranging from recycling to pharmaceuticals to structural manufacturing. The fifth and outermost shell would serve as a warehouse for varied types of resources, materials, equipment and machinery. The Chrysalis' designers suggest that robots could run this level, reducing the need for human physical labor. Births would be planned in Chrysalis to ensure the population stays at a sustainable level, which the research team determined to be about 1,500 people — 900 people less than the ship's total capacity. 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," the project engineers wrote in their pitch. RELATED STORIES —ChatGPT could pilot a spacecraft shockingly well, early tests find —China wants to build a mega spaceship that's nearly a mile long —Here's every spaceship that's ever carried an astronaut into orbit This plan is purely hypothetical, as some of the required technology, like commercial nuclear fusion reactors, don't yet exist. However, hypothetical projects like this one can still add to our existing knowledge base and help engineers improve upcoming designs. The Project Hyperion jury wrote on its website that Chrysalis was impressive for its "system-level coherence and innovative design of the modular habitat structure" and "overall depth of detail." The winning team of five researchers was awarded $5,000 USD. Human spaceflight quiz: How well do you know our journey into space?
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Science
- The Guardian
Beam me up, jellyfish: experts unveil spaceships to take us to the stars
Spaceships modelled on jellyfish, 3D-printed homes, polyamorous relationships and vegetarian diets are among the ways in which experts have envisaged making interstellar travel feasible. The ideas from scientists, engineers, architects and social theorists came in response to a global competition to develop plans for 'generation ships', self-sustaining crafts capable of supporting up to 1,500 people on a 250-year journey to a habitable planet. Entrants to the Project Hyperion design competition, launched last year, could only incorporate current technologies or those expected to emerge in the near future, such as nuclear fusion, into their proposals. An expert panel, including Nasa scientists, judged the viability of almost 100 submissions, assessing how their habitats, architecture and social structures would allow the crew to not only survive but flourish as a society across multiple generations of space flight. The winner was Chrysalis, a 58km cigar-shaped craft, designed around a series of concentric cylinders, each dedicated to a different function: 3D-printed living quarters; communal spaces, including parks, libraries and galleries; and farms and biomes of different Earth environments, such as tropical forests. As animals would be brought onboard only to maintain biodiversity, a vegetarian diet would be necessary. The design won praise for its detailed plans, particularly how the psychological resilience of the crew would be vetted by living in isolated Antarctic bases. The proposal also explained how family structures would change, with individuals' sense of belonging based more on being part of the starship community. Inhabitants would be allowed to have children but not necessarily with the same partners. The second place design was Hyperion, a spacecraft which resembles the space station from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The twin rings of this design are engineered to generate an Earth-like magnetic field, which would be essential for a successful pregnancy in deep space, without which the mission would be doomed. The proposal also includes designs for loose-fitting clothes with large sealable pockets to prevent items from falling out in low gravity. The mission would include three pairs of turtles, chosen for their longevity, relatively inactive, and resistance to disease. The third place design, Systema Stellare Proximum, is modelled after the shape of a jellyfish and uses a hollowed-out asteroid as a shield against impacts. It envisages a society guided by a non-human collective intelligence and human council, as well as the potential emergence of new religions, such as neopaganism that deifies 'nature and man, in all his forms'. Other notable entires included Endless Beyond the Stars, which includes floating light created from biogas, generated from the bodies of the dead. Dr Andreas Hein, the executive director of the Initiative for Interstellar Studies, which ran the competition, said it was 'part of a larger exercise to explore if humanity can travel to the stars' and how 'a civilisation might live, learn and evolve in a highly resource-constrained environment'. He added: 'We asked participants to integrate architecture, technology and social systems to conceptualise a functional society spanning centuries – and the outcome was beyond expectations.'
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
The futuristic spaceship that could take humans to the stars revealed
The phrase 'reach for the stars' has just taken on a new meaning. This futuristic spaceship has been designed to take a group of humans on a 250–year journey to the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri. The 36 mile–long (58km–long) cylinder features a range of biome ecosystems, food production rooms, libraries, parks, multi–storey living areas, schools, hospitals and sports complexes. One of the most impressive aspects is a 130m–high 'cosmos dome' with glass panels that allows inhabitants to observe the universe while floating freely around. The spacecraft, which can hold around 1,000 people, would be powered by nuclear fusion reactors while a series of concentric cylinders would rotate to generate artificial gravity. Named 'Chrysalis', it's just landed first place in the global Project Hyperion design competition, which invited teams of scientists, engineers, architects and social theorists to develop detailed plans for a 'generation ship'. Entries were only allowed to use existing technologies or those deemed to have a plausible chance of emerging in the near future – including nuclear fusion. Faster–than–light travel was also not allowed, and neither were systems that would hold the crew in states of suspended animation. An expert panel that included NASA scientists assessed nearly 100 submissions, with each entry being rated for not only design and sustainability but also how well the inhabitants would get on with each other. The international team behind Chrysalis said their design is named after 'the intriguing possibility of having a spaceship capable of keeping its inhabitants safe and united, generation after generation, until they arrive in the new solar system'. Its mission objectives will be to safely deliver its passengers to the surface of the planet Proxima Centauri b, which is four light–years from the Sun, while 'preserving cultural, biological and technological heritages from the Earth'. The ship is split into different 'shell' environments, each with a dedicated function. One shell would be home to agriculture and biomes – including a tropical forest, boreal forest and dry scrub biome. These are critical for recreating a habitat on the new arrival planet, the team said. There will also be a genetic bank on–board that stores seeds, embryos and DNA from all species aboard Chrysalis and from other species on Earth. Food production would be limited to plant species, meaning everyone on–board would be vegetarian. 'The presence of animals is reduced to a small section for diversity and aesthetic purposes, not for food production,' the scientists said. Protein could be synthetically produced – like today's lab–grown protein – they explained. Artificial light on–board would simulate daytime and seasons. Meanwhile a closed–loop system would see water and nutrients reused. Another shell would house communal spaces such as parks, recreation and relaxation areas, libraries and rooms containing various objects and cultural artefacts from Earth. Windows and walls could function as large screens to simulate panoramas and real landscapes of the Earth, the team said. Shell three would house dwellings, divided into 20 sectors which contain 'module houses' – the single dwelling unit for each inhabitant. 'The Chrysalis family structure revolves around the identity of each individual and their sense of belonging to the entire starship community,' the team said. If a couple has a child they can decide to live together but it is not 'ethically compulsory', they explained. Meanwhile individuals can decide to change their location and move to other sectors if they wish. Another shell would be home to facilities for technological and product development, while another would act as a warehouse for materials, equipment and machines. The cosmos dome, however, would be 'the only environment on Chrysalis through which the inhabitants can observe the external environment of deep space'. It is here where the 'annual Chrysalis Plenary Council' – when all inhabitants gather in a full circle – would be held. The dome would face backwards towards the origin of the spaceship's journey – the Sun and the Earth – to allow habitants to 'look back' to their distant origins. This is crucial for the craft's inhabitants who will spend the entire of their lives aboard the starship without the possibility of living on the surface of a planet, the scientists said. The judges commended the meticulous detail of the plans, which included an explanation of how its inhabitants would be psychologically screened via a decades–long vetting process spent living in isolated Antarctic bases. 'The large dome structure adds a dramatic, cinematic quality that evokes science fiction classics, while the overall system–level planning—covering not just architecture but also how to build the vessel—is notably strong,' they said. 'The radiation protection strategy is solid, and the practical structural approach is well–suited. Its overall spacecraft design seems to take inspiration from the gigantic world ship concepts of the 1980s.' Unfortunately, exactly how much the futuristic ship might could to build remains unclear at this stage. Second place was given to WFP Extreme, which resembles two 500m–wide Ferris wheels joined together. 'Project Hyperion wasn't just a design contest—it is part of a larger exercise to explore if humanity can travel to the stars one day,' said Dr. Andreas Hein, executive director of the Institute for Interstellar Studies. 'It envisions how a civilization might live, learn, and evolve in a highly resource–constrained environment, and may also provide valuable insights into our future on Earth. We asked participants to integrate architecture, technology, and social systems to conceptualize a functional society spanning centuries—and the outcome was beyond expectations.'
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Science
- The Guardian
Beam me up, jellyfish: experts unveil spaceships to take us to the stars
Spaceships modelled on jellyfish, 3D-printed homes, polyamorous relationships and vegetarian diets are among the ways in which experts have envisaged making interstellar travel feasible. The ideas from scientists, engineers, architects and social theorists came in response to a global competition to develop plans for 'generation ships', self-sustaining crafts capable of supporting up to 1,500 people on a 250-year journey to a habitable planet. Entrants to the Project Hyperion design competition, launched last year, could only incorporate current technologies or those expected to emerge in the near future, such as nuclear fusion, into their proposals. An expert panel, including Nasa scientists, judged the viability of almost 100 submissions, assessing how their habitats, architecture and social structures would allow the crew to not only survive but flourish as a society across multiple generations of space flight. The winner was Chrysalis, a 58km cigar-shaped craft, designed around a series of concentric cylinders, each dedicated to a different function: 3D-printed living quarters; communal spaces, including parks, libraries and galleries; and farms and biomes of different Earth environments, such as tropical forests. As animals would be brought onboard only to maintain biodiversity, a vegetarian diet would be necessary. The design won praise for its detailed plans, particularly how the psychological resilience of the crew would be vetted by living in isolated Antarctic bases. The proposal also explained how family structures would change, with individuals' sense of belonging based more on being part of the starship community. Inhabitants would be allowed to have children but not necessarily with the same partners. The second place design was Hyperion, a spacecraft which resembles the space station from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The twin rings of this design are engineered to generate an earth-like magnetic field, which would be essential for a successful pregnancy in deep space, without which the mission would be doomed. The proposal also includes designs for loose-fitting clothes with large sealable pockets to prevent items from falling out in low gravity. The mission would include three pairs of turtles, chosen for their longevity, relatively inactive, and resistance to disease. The third place design, Systema Stellare Proximum, is modelled after the shape of a jellyfish and uses a hollowed-out asteroid as a shield against impacts. It envisages a society guided by a non-human collective intelligence and human council, as well as the potential emergence of new religions, such as neopaganism that deifies 'nature and man, in all his forms'. Other notable entires included Endless Beyond the Stars, which includes floating light created from biogas, generated from the bodies of the dead. Dr Andreas Hein, the executive director of the Initiative for Interstellar Studies, which ran the competition, said it was 'part of a larger exercise to explore if humanity can travel to the stars' and how 'a civilisation might live, learn and evolve in a highly resource-constrained environment'. He added: 'We asked participants to integrate architecture, technology and social systems to conceptualise a functional society spanning centuries – and the outcome was beyond expectations.'
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
The futuristic spaceship that could take humans to the stars: Self–sustaining vessel dubbed Chrysalis could carry 1,000 people on a one–way, 250–year journey into deep space
The phrase 'reach for the stars' has just taken on a new meaning. This futuristic spaceship has been designed to take a group of humans on a 250–year journey to the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri. The 36 mile–long (58km–long) cylinder features a range of biome ecosystems, food production rooms, libraries, parks, multi–storey living areas, schools, hospitals and sports complexes. One of the most impressive aspects is a 130m–high 'cosmos dome' with glass panels that allows inhabitants to observe the universe while floating freely around. The spacecraft, which can hold around 1,000 people, would be powered by nuclear fusion reactors while a series of concentric cylinders would rotate to generate artificial gravity. Named 'Chrysalis', it's just landed first place in the global Project Hyperion design competition, which invited teams of scientists, engineers, architects and social theorists to develop detailed plans for a 'generation ship'. Entries were only allowed to use existing technologies or those deemed to have a plausible chance of emerging in the near future – including nuclear fusion. Faster–than–light travel was also not allowed, and neither were systems that would hold the crew in states of suspended animation. An expert panel that included NASA scientists assessed nearly 100 submissions, with each entry being rated for not only design and sustainability but also how well the inhabitants would get on with each other. The international team behind Chrysalis said their design is named after 'the intriguing possibility of having a spaceship capable of keeping its inhabitants safe and united, generation after generation, until they arrive in the new solar system'. Its mission objectives will be to safely deliver its passengers to the surface of the planet Proxima Centauri b, which is four light–years from the Sun, while 'preserving cultural, biological and technological heritages from the Earth'. The ship is split into different 'shell' environments, each with a dedicated function. One shell would be home to agriculture and biomes – including a tropical forest, boreal forest and dry scrub biome. These are critical for recreating a habitat on the new arrival planet, the team said. There will also be a genetic bank on–board that stores seeds, embryos and DNA from all species aboard Chrysalis and from other species on Earth. Food production would be limited to plant species, meaning everyone on–board would be vegetarian. 'The presence of animals is reduced to a small section for diversity and aesthetic purposes, not for food production,' the scientists said. Protein could be synthetically produced – like today's lab–grown protein – they explained. Artificial light on–board would simulate daytime and seasons. Meanwhile a closed–loop system would see water and nutrients reused. Another shell would house communal spaces such as parks, recreation and relaxation areas, libraries and rooms containing various objects and cultural artefacts from Earth. Windows and walls could function as large screens to simulate panoramas and real landscapes of the Earth, the team said. Shell three would house dwellings, divided into 20 sectors which contain 'module houses' – the single dwelling unit for each inhabitant. 'The Chrysalis family structure revolves around the identity of each individual and their sense of belonging to the entire starship community,' the team said. If a couple has a child they can decide to live together but it is not 'ethically compulsory', they explained. Meanwhile individuals can decide to change their location and move to other sectors if they wish. Another shell would be home to facilities for technological and product development, while another would act as a warehouse for materials, equipment and machines. The cosmos dome, however, would be 'the only environment on Chrysalis through which the inhabitants can observe the external environment of deep space'. It is here where the 'annual Chrysalis Plenary Council' – when all inhabitants gather in a full circle – would be held. The dome would face backwards towards the origin of the spaceship's journey – the Sun and the Earth – to allow habitants to 'look back' to their distant origins. This is crucial for the craft's inhabitants who will spend the entire of their lives aboard the starship without the possibility of living on the surface of a planet, the scientists said. The judges commended the meticulous detail of the plans, which included an explanation of how its inhabitants would be psychologically screened via a decades–long vetting process spent living in isolated Antarctic bases. 'The large dome structure adds a dramatic, cinematic quality that evokes science fiction classics, while the overall system–level planning—covering not just architecture but also how to build the vessel—is notably strong,' they said. 'The radiation protection strategy is solid, and the practical structural approach is well–suited. 'Its overall spacecraft design seems to take inspiration from the gigantic world ship concepts of the 1980s.' Entries were only allowed to use existing technologies or those deemed to have a plausible chance of emerging in the near future Unfortunately, exactly how much the futuristic ship might could to build remains unclear at this stage. Second place was given to WFP Extreme, which resembles two 500m–wide Ferris wheels joined together. 'Project Hyperion wasn't just a design contest—it is part of a larger exercise to explore if humanity can travel to the stars one day,' said Dr. Andreas Hein, executive director of the Institute for Interstellar Studies. 'It envisions how a civilization might live, learn, and evolve in a highly resource–constrained environment, and may also provide valuable insights into our future on Earth. 'We asked participants to integrate architecture, technology, and social systems to conceptualize a functional society spanning centuries—and the outcome was beyond expectations.' WHAT TYPE OF FLYING TAXIS COULD WE EXPECT TO SEE IN THE FUTURE? Advances in electric motors, battery technology and autonomous software has triggered an explosion in the field of electric air taxis. Larry Page, CEO of Google parent company Alphabet, has poured millions into aviation start-ups Zee Aero and Kitty Hawk, which are both striving to create all-electric flying cabs. Kitty Hawk is believed to be developing a flying car and has already filed more than a dozen different aircraft registrations with the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA. Page, who co-founded Google with Sergey Brin back in 1998, has personally invested $100 million (£70 million) into the two companies, which have yet to publicly acknowledge or demonstrate their technology. Airbus is also hard at work on an all-electric, vertical-take-off-and-landing craft, with its latest Project Vahana prototype, branded Alpha One, successfully completing its maiden test flight in February 2018. The self-piloted helicopter reached a height of 16 feet (five metres) before successfully returning to the ground. In total, the test flight lasted 53 seconds. Airbus previously shared a well-produced concept video, showcasing its vision for Project Vahana. The footage reveals a sleek self-flying aircraft that seats one passenger under a canopy that retracts in similar way to a motorcycle helmet visor. AirSpaceX is another company with ambitions to take commuters to the skies. The Detroit-based start-up has promised to deploy 2,500 aircrafts in the 50 largest cities in the United States by 2026. AirSpaceX unveiled its latest prototype, Mobi-One, at the North American International Auto Show in early 2018. Like its closest rivals, the electric aircraft is designed to carry two to four passengers and is capable of vertical take-off and landing. AirSpaceX has even included broadband connectivity for high speed internet access so you can check your Facebook News Feed as you fly to work. Aside from passenger and cargo services, AirSpaceX says the craft can also be used for medical and casualty evacuation, as well as tactical Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR). Even Uber is working on making its ride-hailing service airborne. Dubbed Uber Elevate, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi tentatively discussed the company's plans during a technology conference in January 2018. 'I think it's going to happen within the next 10 years,' he said.
