Project Icarus: The Challenges of Mission Longevity

S. Baxter (2010), JBIS, 63, pp.426-433

Refcode: 2010.63.426
Keywords: Project Icarus, Project Daedalus, interstellar flight, mission duration

Abstract:
Project Icarus is a feasibility study of an unmanned exploratory mission to a nearby star, based on the previous BIS study Project Daedalus. One significant difference between Project Icarus and its predecessor study is the relaxation of Icarus’s mission duration from a generation’s span to a possible century, an interval over which major technological and cultural changes can be expected. This paper discusses the consequences of an extended mission duration concerning the probe’s relation with its ground support. The conclusion is that to minimise mission risks Project Icarus should be future-proofed as far as possible; specific recommendations are made. This paper is a submission of the Project Icarus Study Group.