The generation ship is a hypothetical spaceship that was dreamed up for long-term interstellar travel, lasting even centuries. The idea is for the initial crew to live, reproduce and die aboard the ship, with their descendants continuing the journey.
Originally designed by American rocket pioneer Robert H. Goddard, the massive spaceship is an enclosed, self-sustaining world with its own ecosystem, designed to meet the crew’s every need as they travel centuries or even millennia to their destination.
Ships equipped with agriculture, living and subsistence systems are intended to ensure survival for several generations.
A Hyperion project part of a study to assess the feasibility of manned interstellar flight using current and near-future technologies. It also seeks to guide future research and technological development while informing the public about the logistics and possibilities of interstellar travel.
A design competition was also recently announced, in which teams were invited to submit their innovative designs for the generation ship.
“The competition runs from November 1, 2024 to June 2, 2025 and anyone can enter”the company announced via its official website.
Teams participating in the competition must consist of at least one architectural designer, one engineer, and one social scientist who will design a concept for a generation ship with an emphasis on its architecture and social organizational system.
Innovative idea or ominous prophecy?
Designing a generation ship presents significant challenges, including the energy needed for propulsion, which can lead to cramped living conditions, and the need for a ship that can function flawlessly for centuries, maintain perfect efficiency, and utilize air and water that doesn’t leak into space. .
Instead of focusing on the propulsion system or the ship’s structural design, researchers are specifically interested in how the ideal space habitat would be built and the associated social system that would support the needs of its inhabitants over a long period of time.
The application must meet several criteria: the duration of the mission is 250 Earth years, and its destination is a rocky planet with an artificial ecosystem created by a precursor probe.
The generation ship will create Earth-equivalent gravity and provide similar atmospheric conditions for the inhabitants and protect them from harmful radiation and impacts. In addition, the ship must accommodate 1,000 people, plus or minus 500 during the entire trip.
The plans will be evaluated based on architectural aspects, including how comfortable the living space is for the residents and what aesthetic qualities it has. They are also examined from a technical perspective, such as how they solve basic physical needs such as food, water supply and waste recycling.
Although the idea of ​​a generational ship is still in its infancy, Elon Musk’s SpaceX will soon be connected colonial and Marsot. According to the billionaire businessman, the Mars mission can begin as early as 2026.
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