Picture an interstellar starship gliding past an icy, distant planet light-years away from Earth. The vessel is carrying generations of humans that are the last hope of the species, as they were the lucky few who escaped a world devastated by climate change to venture into the unknown, searching for a new home.
This grand vision of such a spaceship may not be confined to the realm of science fiction for too long. An international body of scientists, engineers, and urban planners called Project Hyperion has announced a competition for the best design of a massive spaceship that can sustain generations of humans on a long journey across the vast expanse of space.
The competition is open to the public and the team behind the winning design will be awarded a prize of $10,000. Each team must comprise at least one designer, one engineer, and one social scientist as per the rules of the competition.
The generation ship must be conceptually designed such that the crew of the interstellar vessel should be able to “live, reproduce, and die on the ship, with their descendants continuing the journey until reaching the destination.”
“This competition uniquely explores the complex interplay between generation ship technologies and the dynamics of a highly resource-constrained society,” Andreas Hein, a member of the Hyperion Project’s organising committee, was quoted as saying.
The hypothetical exercise is also meant to aid research in how to fight off the real and existential threat of climate change that is currently facing Earth.
“I believe that thinking beyond Earth can offer valuable insights into how we might improve life here on ‘spaceship Earth.’ […] Just as in space, where we face numerous challenges, our planet requires innovative approaches to foster harmony and resilience amidst current global conflicts and challenges,” Yazgi Demirbas, another member of the organising committee, was quoted as saying.
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