In a groundbreaking proposal that could redefine the future of space exploration, an Italian design team has unveiled plans for the Chrysalis starship. This ambitious concept envisions a 400-year voyage carrying up to 2,400 passengers to Proxima b, a potentially habitable planet orbiting the nearest star, Proxima Centauri. The Chrysalis project, which recently won the Project Hyperion Design Competition by the Initiative for Interstellar Studies (i4is), is a testament to human ingenuity and the relentless pursuit of interstellar travel.
The Chrysalis starship is designed to be a self-sufficient habitat, where generations of humans would live, work, and die before their descendants reach the new world. The creators, Giacomo Infelise, Veronica Magli, Guido Sbrogio, Nevenka Martinello, and Federica Chiara Serpe, have combined imagination with engineering to create a realistic multigenerational ship using current or near-future technology.
Building a Home for Centuries in Space
Central to the Chrysalis design is a rotating cylinder over 58 kilometers long, with a mass of 2.4 billion metric tons. This rotation would generate artificial gravity, mitigating the muscle and bone loss associated with weightlessness. The structure is ingeniously arranged like a Russian nesting doll, with each layer serving a specific function, from food production to resource storage.
The outermost layer would protect against micrometeoroids and radiation, while also serving as a warehouse managed by robotic systems. Moving inward, industrial facilities would recycle materials and manufacture goods, while housing blocks would provide comfortable living conditions. Communal spaces would foster social connections, and diverse ecosystems would sustain life.
The Chrysalis design was praised for its “system-level coherence and innovative design of the modular habitat structure.”
The Challenge of Time and Distance
Proxima b is located 4.24 light-years away, approximately 39 trillion kilometers from Earth. The Chrysalis starship aims to travel at a tenth of the speed of light, reaching its destination in about 400 years. This includes time for acceleration and deceleration. In comparison, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, the fastest spacecraft built, would take over two centuries to reach the halfway point.
The proposed propulsion system for Chrysalis is a Direct Fusion Drive using helium and deuterium isotopes. While untested, this system could potentially provide both thrust and electrical power, contingent on breakthroughs in nuclear fusion technology.
Before launch, prospective passengers would undergo a rigorous training phase, spending 70 to 80 years in an isolated Antarctic habitat to simulate the conditions aboard Chrysalis and ensure psychological resilience.
Life Aboard Chrysalis
Managing a population over centuries requires careful planning. Birth rates would be controlled to maintain a stable population of around 1,500 people, ensuring sufficient resources for all. Governance would be a partnership between human decision-makers and artificial intelligence, enhancing social resilience and knowledge transfer across generations.
Daily life aboard Chrysalis would include work, education, and community activities, with unique experiences like the Cosmo Dome offering microgravity views of deep space. Cultural continuity would be maintained through robust education systems and preserved archives, ensuring future generations retain the skills and history necessary for survival.
“If humanity ever leaves the solar system, the descendants of such work may be the first to see another sun rise over an alien sky.”
From Concept to Possibility
Despite its detailed design, Chrysalis remains a concept. Key technologies like nuclear fusion drives and sustainable closed-loop ecosystems are still under development. However, history has shown that seemingly impossible goals, like landing on the Moon, can be achieved.
Competitions like Project Hyperion encourage realistic planning for interstellar travel, addressing challenges like food production, waste recycling, and social stability. The Initiative for Interstellar Studies hopes that projects like Chrysalis will inspire future breakthroughs in spacecraft architecture and long-duration mission planning.
Past Studies and Findings
The idea of a generation ship is not new. In the 1960s, physicist Robert Enzmann proposed an interstellar vessel powered by frozen deuterium fuel, influencing early thinking on multi-century space travel. Recent studies have explored closed-loop life support systems and artificial gravity structures, emphasizing the importance of self-sustaining ecosystems for long-term missions.
Research from NASA and European groups has shown that plants, microbes, and small animals can survive in microgravity, though conditions are not yet ideal for human health. The Project Hyperion studies have reviewed the feasibility of sending human crews to nearby stars, identifying propulsion and social stability as major challenges.
Practical Implications of the Research
While a 400-year journey to another star is far from today’s capabilities, concepts like Chrysalis push scientists to solve problems with immediate benefits. Designing closed-loop life support systems can improve Earth’s sustainability, while artificial gravity research could aid long-duration space missions.
Advances in nuclear fusion propulsion could revolutionize energy production, and social science insights from these projects can inform disaster preparedness and isolated community management on Earth. By envisioning the needs of a distant voyage, researchers gain tools to address pressing challenges closer to home.
If the technology matures, efforts like Chrysalis could one day enable human migration beyond the solar system, ensuring humanity’s survival even if Earth becomes uninhabitable.
