Space travel is quite a challenge. Especially if we would like to travel further than the planets in the solar system. Project Hyperion is a project that will take us further, but its first passengers will not see the “Promised Land”.
Space exploration has long fascinated humanity, serving as a source of inspiration for literature, science and technology. Although man’s first step on another planet will most likely be on Mars, the future of space exploration stretches much further. Ambitious dreams of interstellar travel that would allow us to reach the nearest star systems are becoming more and more concrete thanks to international initiatives and design competitions such as Project Hyperion.
There is only one planet in the solar system where humanity could potentially settle. That is why Mars has always fascinated people of science. It should be noted, however, that despite the fact that the Red Planet is our direct cosmic neighbor and on a universe-wide scale it is just a stone’s throw away from us, in fact even a trip to Mars is a real challenge. Astronauts would have to spend up to eight months on the spacecraft, which makes a potential space mission last up to two years.
Project Hyperion. So how to fly to a new planet?
The first key problem in interstellar travel is the enormous interstellar distance. The closest star to us, Proxima Centauri, is 4.26 light-years away. This is a distance that is unattainable for today’s spacecraft. Even with the most advanced propulsion technologies, such a trip could take a long time of thousand to eighty thousand years.
Faced with these limitations, modern concepts of interstellar travel face a choice: develop technologies that allow them to reach fractions of the speed of light or create multi-generational ships that could become new, closed worlds for their crews. As scientists point out, the latter option is currently the most realistic option if humanity wants to leave the Solar System one day.
Launched on November 1, 2024 Project Hyperion is an international competition whose aim is to develop a vision of a multi-generational ship. Teams of architects, engineers and anthropologists from around the world are tasked with designing a self-sustaining spacecraft that will be capable of traveling about 250 years – the time needed to reach the planet Proxima b in the Proxima Centauri system.
Organizations such as: Initiative for Interstellar Studies (i4is)as well as scientists associated with NASA, ESA and MIT. The competition is interdisciplinary – design teams must include specialists in architecture, engineering and social sciences. As the organizers emphasize, the goal is to create not only a ship, but also a community capable of living and developing in a closed ecosystem for many generations.
Self-sufficiency – the biggest challenge?
The primary feature of a multi-generation ship must be its self-sufficiency. The structure should enable the production of food, water and oxygen, as well as the processing of waste in a closed cycle. Much of the inspiration comes from research projects such as Biosphere 2 – an experimental biosphere that allowed people to live in a closed ecosystem for an extended period of time.
The ship’s crew, numbering from 500 to 1,500 peoplewould have to have access to protection systems against cosmic radiation, micrometeoroids and be provided with conditions resembling those on Earth, including artificial gravity. Moreover, the ship would have to be designed with the changing needs of the community in mind over the centuries, including the ability to develop infrastructure and adapt to unforeseen challenges.
Designing a ship is not only a technological challenge, but also a social one. Over the generations, the crew would have to maintain genetic, cultural and social stability. According to research, the minimum number of crew to ensure genetic diversity is approximately 98 people. Additionally, it is necessary to secure the genetic bank containing biological material in the form of frozen embryos or semen.
An important element is also the design of an education and knowledge transfer system that would avoid the loss of key skills and technologies during the centuries-long journey. As the organizers emphasize, the ship would have to be not only a place to live, but also a space where the crew could develop culture, art and science.
Graphics: depositphotos
Source: antyweb.pl
