Right. Who wants to go to stupid Mars, anyway. No microbes in the soil. Plants won't grow. All kinds of problems getting there and then living there. However...

With Trump going to back us out of the international wars, we need something new and exciting to use to mess with the minds of Americans so that they keep on giving us money. Here is one. Get a grant to compete.


Competition to Design Human Crewed Interstellar Spaceships

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https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2024/11/designs-for-human-crewed-interstellar-spaceships.html#more-198940
The idea behind a generation ship is that the initial crew would live, reproduce, and die on the ship, with their descendants continuing the journey until reaching the destination. These ships are often envisioned as self-sustaining ecosystems, featuring agriculture, habitation, and other necessary life-support systems to ensure survival across multiple generations.

A generation ship is a theoretical type of spacecraft designed for long-duration interstellar travel, where the journey may take centuries or millennia to complete. The idea behind a generation ship is that the initial crew would live, reproduce, and die on the ship, with their descendants continuing the journey until reaching the destination.

The mission duration is 250 years from launch to arrival at the target star system. (Flight speeds of a few %c to the closest stars).

The habitat provides Earth gravity via artificial gravity via rotation but parts of the habitat can have reduced gravity.

The habitat shall provide accommodation and decent living conditions for 1000 +-500 people over the entire trip duration.

The technologies used shall have a TRL≥2.

REGISTRATION PERIOD
Competition announcement : 1st November 2024
Phase 1 Deadline : 2nd of February 2025
Phase 2 Deadline : 4th May 2025
Winners Announcement : 2nd June 2025
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