Project Icarus: The Pegasus Spacecraft Concept Design ICF Propulsion for an Interstellar Rendezvous Mission _ Part A

K. F. Long

2025.078.0402

DOI https://doi.org/10.59332/jbis-078-12-0402

In the 1970s members of the British Interplanetary Society designed a spacecraft for an interstellar flyby mission to the nearest stars called Project Daedalus. In 2009 this author initiated a successor study called Project Icarus which set out to re-design the Daedalus spacecraft based on advances in science and technology. In this paper we describe a concept called Pegasus which is proposed as one of the potential improved solutions to the Daedalus. This is an inertial confinement fusion propelled spacecraft driven by laser beams, the technology for which is now supported by successful experiments at the National Ignition Facility. The Pegasus is a concept for an interstellar rendezvous mission carrying a 150 tonnes payload to 4.3 ly in a trip duration of order a century. It would be characterised by a thrust of 0.64 MN, a jet power of 2.85 TW and a specific power of 1.12 MW/kg. In this paper we discuss various physics and engineering issues relevant to the propulsion system. This paper is a final contribution to Project Icarus.

Keywords: Interstellar Studies, Fusion Propulsion, Pegasus, Project Icarus