Project Icarus: Interstellar Mission Concepts

During the 1970s members of the British Interplanetary Society (BIS) embarked on a landmark design study to send an interstellar probe to Barnard’s star. roject Daedalus designed a two-stage vehicle employing electron beam driven Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) engines, using Deuterium and Helium 3 (D&He3) fuel, to reach its target destination. Nearly four decades passed and Project Icarus set out to design a successor interstellar spacecraft, using current or ‘near’ future technology and similar terms of reference to Project Daedalus. Some aims of the new study were to evolve an improved and credible engineering design and mission profile, along with showing key technological development steps and other aspects considered appropriate. Project Icarus was launched at the BIS in London and the study is now nearing completion. The team are compiling the Project Icarus final report presenting the key technical details which, having identified over 20 potential fusion mechanisms, resulted in a number of Icarus fusion driven variants primarily separated by their propulsion/ignition systems and fuels; Firefly (Z pinch, DD), Ghost (ICF Fast Ignition, DD), Endeavour/Resolution ICF Shock Ignition, DHe3), Zeus (PJMIF, DD) and ‘UDD’ (based around using Ultra Dense Deuterium). Remaining challenges were highlighted such as how to cool and protect a fusion system generating Giga Watts of waste energy (mostly in the form of high energy neutrons and X-rays) if a DD fuel is used. The sheer challenge of utilising fusion revealed during this investigation led some to suggest alternatives and beamed sails now seem a possible interstellar mission candidate within the near future. This presentation will give an overview of Project Icarus, the mission concepts and more.

Robert Swinney, Project Icarus: Interstellar Mission Concepts – The Sons of Daedalus