Project Hyperion (interstellar)Project Hyperion, launched in December 2011 by Andreas M. Hein, is a project aimed at performing a preliminary study to define integrated concepts for a crewed interstellar starship or generation ship. It has led to the most detailed designs of generation ships to date. Its origins can be traced to the WARR student group at the Technical University of Munich (TUM).
StarshipA starship, starcraft, or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between planetary systems. The term is mostly found in science fiction. Reference to a "star-ship" are found as early as 1882 in Oahspe: A New Bible.Initiative for Interstellar StudiesThe Initiative for Interstellar Studies (i4is) is a UK-registered not-for-profit company, whose objectives are education and research into the challenges of interstellar travel. It pioneered concepts of small-scale laser sail interstellar probes (Project Dragonfly) and missions to interstellar objects (Project Lyra). Several of its principals were involved in the 100 Year Starship winning team originated by NASA and DARPA.
Interstellar arkAn interstellar ark is a conceptual starship designed for interstellar travel. Interstellar arks may be the most economically feasible method of traveling such distances. The ark has also been proposed as a potential habitat to preserve civilization and knowledge in the event of a global catastrophe. Such a ship would have to be large, requiring a large power plant. The Project Orion concept of propulsion by nuclear pulses has been proposed.
Project DaedalusProject Daedalus (named after Daedalus, the Greek mythological designer who crafted wings for human flight) was a study conducted between 1973 and 1978 by the British Interplanetary Society to design a plausible uncrewedinterstellar probe. Intended mainly as a scientific probe, the design criteria specified that the spacecraft had to use existing or near-future technology and had to be able to reach its destination within a human lifetime.
Suspended animation in fictionTheme in science fiction Suspended animation in fiction refers to the temporary cessation of life processes experienced by fictional characters, followed by their subsequent revival. This process is commonly employed as a plot device in science fiction narratives.
AstronauticsAstronautics (or cosmonautics) is the practice of sending spacecraft beyond Earth's atmosphere into outer space. Spaceflight is one of its main applications and space science is its overarching field. The term astronautics (originally astronautique in French) was coined in the 1920s by J.-H. Rosny, president of the Goncourt academy, in analogy with aeronautics.
Stanford torusThe Stanford torus is a proposed NASA design for a space settlement capable of housing 10,000 permanent residents. It is a type of rotating wheel space station, consisting of a ring with a diameter of about 1.8 km (1.1 mi), its rotation providing about 1.0 g of artificial gravity.
Space settlementA Stanford torus interior (cutaway view)Interior view of a large scale O'Neill cylinder, showing alternating land and window stripesA space settlement (also called a space habitat, spacestead, space city or space colony) is a settlement in outer space, sustaining more extensively habitation facilities in space than a general space station or spacecraft. Possibly including closed ecological systems, its particular purpose is permanent habitation.
Speed of lightSpeed of electromagnetic wavesThe speed of light is the speed of electromagnetic waves. Light travels at slower speed inside materials like glass or water; its highest speed is in a vacuum.
Robert H. GoddardAmerican physicist and inventor (1882–1945)Robert Hutchings Goddard (October 5, 1882 – August 10, 1945) was an American physicist, inventor, and engineer credited with creating and building the world's first liquid-fueled rocket, which was successfully launched on March 16, 1926. By 1915 his pioneering work had dramatically improved the efficiency of the solid-fueled rocket, signaling the era of the modern rocket and innovation.
Technical University of MunichThe Technical University of Munich (TUM or TU Munich; German: Technische Universität München) is a public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It specializes in engineering, technology, medicine, and applied and natural sciences. It is the only other technical university in Bavaria besides University of Technology Nuremberg (UTN).Scientific Workgroup for Rocketry and SpaceflightThe Scientific Workgroup for Rocketry and Spaceflight (WARR) (German: Wissenschaftliche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Raketentechnik und Raumfahrt) is a scientific workgroup situated at Technical University of Munich, composed mainly of its students. It was founded by students in 1962 with the goal to compensate for the lack of a chair for space technology at the university at the time.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.