PROJECT ICARUS – Son of Daedalus – Final Conclusions of the Starship Design Study

PROJECT ICARUS – Son of Daedalus – Final Conclusions of the Starship Design Study

On the 30^th of September over 10 years ago, Project Icarus kicked off at the BIS HQ with a symposium which included key members of the 1970s BIS Daedalus study team in attendance.  Daedalus aimed to show that interstellar travel was feasible and produced the famous Daedalus (‘ICF’) fusion powered 2-stage probe, still arguably one of the most complete designs for such an endeavour.  The BIS members at the Project Icarus launch hoped to ‘re-do’ Daedalus considering some 30 years of fusion research since the ‘70s and design a new credible Icarus interstellar probe – son of Daedalus.

Some 5 years of hard research and design followed, and the Project Icarus team came up with several Icarus variants (based on modes of fusion and propellant), pre-eminently among them ‘Firefly’ but also others such as Resolution/Endeavour that would become ‘Pegasus’.

In the subsequent years, step by step progress ensued although many outside of the project team may have thought the project had already ended, but some of the team persevered.  They kept trying to resolve some critical issues and improve design details.  Indeed, the whole process illustrates many interesting facets of a voluntary project team, from helping to win a US$500,000 DARPA award to almost complete breakdown and rebirth

The symposium on the anniversary aims to provide a ‘book end’ to BIS Project Icarus and the designs.  If you would like to hear from those that know, key members of the Project Icarus Core Design Team, then this symposium is for you. 

Latest information on the the event can be found on the event page HERE 

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Ticket Prices (all prices are inclusive of VAT):

Non-member Rates – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

• Delegate (Standard)
  • £40 (In-person) / £30 (Online)
• Delegate (Student*/Over 65s)
  • £30 (In-person) / £20 (Online)

Speaker / BIS Member Rates – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

• Delegate (Standard)
  • £30 (In-person) / £20 (Online)
• Delegate (Student*/Over 65s)
  • £20 (In-person) / £10 (Online)

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*Suitable proof of student status e.g. through a letter of enrollment or student card will be required upon arrival.

**The lunch provided is a buffet selection of sandwiches, sides and deserts and will include vegetarian options, however if you have any specific dietary preferences or allergies, please notify the BIS in advance by emailing events@bis-space.com or contact the office on +44(0)2077353160.

If you have any queries about the event, booking process, or would like to register by phone, please contact the office using the above details.

Additional Notes:
1. Doors will open for Registration from 9.00 am. Please vacate the building not later than 20 minutes after the end of the scheduled programme, unless notified of extended hours.
2. Registration fees are non-refundable and include attendance at all sessions, lunch, mid-morning and afternoon refreshments.
3. A final programme will be available at the meeting.
4. The Society cannot accept responsibility for changes to the published programme due to reasons outside its control.
5. No part of the meeting may be recorded nor photographs taken without prior permission.

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