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Launched in 2024, Project Hyperion is a worldwide contest that invites engineers, architects, and researchers to devise “blueprints” for generational spaceships aimed at transporting humanity to planets such as Mars and potentially beyond the solar system to planets that might support life. While many submissions fit the traditional mold of futuristic spacecraft, one particular design has captured significant interest.
Titled “Systema Stellare Proximum,” this design envisions a hollow asteroid core transformed into a jellyfish-inspired spaceship. This innovative concept merges cutting-edge technologies, such as AI, with human enhancements, setting a new path for space exploration. Additionally, the creators emphasized the future role of AI in space travel and the potential for new religious frameworks to aid in governing the ship’s crew as they journey among the stars.
“Although numerous subtleties are present, every design element was inherently inspired by natural systems, intentionally prioritizing simplicity to minimize complexity and potential failure,” the team behind Systema Stellare Proximum stated.
The core intention of Project Hyperion was to prompt teams to conceptualize a multi-generational spacecraft capable of accommodating up to 1,500 individuals throughout centuries of journeying. Moreover, the design was required to generate artificial gravity for the crew through rotational mechanisms. Information regarding societal structure was also necessary, which needed to encompass essentials such as clothing, shelter, and the fulfillment of basic human needs.
In addition, the project obligated teams to devise resilient life support systems for water, food, waste management, and a breathable atmosphere. In essence, the spacecraft was to be equipped to sustain the humans aboard while they traveled from Earth to Mars.
