A new design competition, dubbed Project Hyperion, has been announced, calling for submissions for the design of a crewed interstellar generation ship. This initiative aims to assess the feasibility of interstellar flight using current and near-future technologies, focusing on habitat architecture and social systems for long-duration space travel.
Participants must include at least one architectural designer, one engineer, and one social scientist. Designs will be evaluated based on architectural functionality, technical details, and social planning, addressing the challenges of sustaining human life over potentially hundreds of years in space.
Concurrently, a new generation of space materials launched on November 5, heading to the International Space Station (ISS) for testing. Developed at the University of Bristol, these high-performance carbon fiber-reinforced composites are designed to endure extreme conditions in low Earth orbit.
The materials will be placed on the Bartolomeo platform of the ISS, where they will experience temperatures ranging from -150ºC to +120ºC, high-speed impacts, and severe radiation exposure over the next 12 to 18 months. This testing aims to create longer-lasting space components, crucial for future interplanetary missions and the establishment of communities on other planets.
Prof Ian Hamerton from the Bristol Composites Institute emphasized the significance of testing materials in space, stating that the harsh environment presents unique challenges that cannot be replicated on Earth. The project is supported by the UK Space Agency and aims to develop resilient and sustainable materials for space applications.
Both Project Hyperion and the new materials testing signify important strides in humanity's efforts to explore beyond Earth, contributing to the future of space travel and habitation.