Interstellar ark
Encyclopedia
An interstellar ark is a conceptual space vehicle
that some have speculated could be used for interstellar travel
. The concept was first developed by Dr. Gregory Matloff, who argues that such a vehicle may be the most economically feasible method of traveling such distances.
An interstellar ark might be a generation ship
or a sleeper ship
.
of propulsion by nuclear pulses
. The largest spacecraft design analyzed in the Orion project had a 400 m diameter and weighed approximately 8 million tons. It could be large enough to host a city of 100,000 or more people.
The purely engineering issues concern building, in space, a physically self-sufficient craft. Another concern is selection of power sources and mechanisms which would remain viable for the long time spans involved in interstellar travel
through the desert of space. The longest lived space probes are the Voyager program
probes, which use radioisotope thermoelectric generator
s having a lifespan of a mere 50 years.
In light of the multiple generations that it could take to reach even our nearest neighboring star systems such as Proxima Centauri
, further issues of the viability of such interstellar arks include:
type fusion microexplosion nuclear pulse propulsion
system, that may allow it to obtain an interstellar cruising velocity of up to 10% of the speed of light
.
At the present time, cryopreservation
and other forms of "cold sleep" lasting decades or longer are only theoretical possibilities, as it is currently impossible to reverse the process of cryopreservation. These possibilities are suggested by the short-term hibernation of certain mammalian species. Hypothermia and hibernation can greatly reduce the amount of food, water, and oxygen required to keep a human (or any other animal) alive while in stasis (suspended animation
/induced hibernation
).
Developing the medical technology that is required to achieve a "sleeper" type starship may theoretically be an achievable goal for late in the 21st century, depending on funding and laboratory experiments.
The appeal of these methods rests on hopes of:
Both Orion type thermonuclear pulse drive starships, and Daedalus type thermonuclear pulse drive starships could be built and launched towards nearby stars within a 10 light-year radius of the solar system later in the 21st century, if there was sufficient funding and political will to do this.
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
that some have speculated could be used for interstellar travel
Interstellar travel
Interstellar space travel is manned or unmanned travel between stars. The concept of interstellar travel in starships is a staple of science fiction. Interstellar travel is much more difficult than interplanetary travel. Intergalactic travel, or travel between different galaxies, is even more...
. The concept was first developed by Dr. Gregory Matloff, who argues that such a vehicle may be the most economically feasible method of traveling such distances.
An interstellar ark might be a generation ship
Generation ship
A generation ship is a hypothetical type of interstellar ark starship that travels across great distances between stars at a speed much slower than the speed of light...
or a sleeper ship
Sleeper ship
A sleeper ship is a hypothetical type of manned spaceship in which most or all of the crew spends the journey in some form of hibernation or suspended animation. There is currently no known technology that allows for long-term suspended animation of humans....
.
Considerations for generation-ship proposals
Such a ship would have to be large, and the only adequate technology likely to be available (even assuming the most favorable economic and political factors) soon enough to make plans is the Orion conceptProject Orion (nuclear propulsion)
Project Orion was a study of a spacecraft intended to be directly propelled by a series of explosions of atomic bombs behind the craft...
of propulsion by nuclear pulses
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
. The largest spacecraft design analyzed in the Orion project had a 400 m diameter and weighed approximately 8 million tons. It could be large enough to host a city of 100,000 or more people.
The purely engineering issues concern building, in space, a physically self-sufficient craft. Another concern is selection of power sources and mechanisms which would remain viable for the long time spans involved in interstellar travel
Interstellar travel
Interstellar space travel is manned or unmanned travel between stars. The concept of interstellar travel in starships is a staple of science fiction. Interstellar travel is much more difficult than interplanetary travel. Intergalactic travel, or travel between different galaxies, is even more...
through the desert of space. The longest lived space probes are the Voyager program
Voyager program
The Voyager program is a U.S program that launched two unmanned space missions, scientific probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. They were launched in 1977 to take advantage of a favorable planetary alignment of the late 1970s...
probes, which use radioisotope thermoelectric generator
Radioisotope thermoelectric generator
A radioisotope thermoelectric generator is an electrical generator that obtains its power from radioactive decay. In such a device, the heat released by the decay of a suitable radioactive material is converted into electricity by the Seebeck effect using an array of thermocouples.RTGs can be...
s having a lifespan of a mere 50 years.
In light of the multiple generations that it could take to reach even our nearest neighboring star systems such as Proxima Centauri
Proxima Centauri
Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star about 4.2 light-years distant in the constellation of Centaurus. It was discovered in 1915 by Robert Innes, the Director of the Union Observatory in South Africa, and is the nearest known star to the Sun, although it is too faint to be seen with the naked eye...
, further issues of the viability of such interstellar arks include:
- the possibility of humans drastically evolving in directions unacceptable to the sponsors
- the minimum population required to maintain in isolation a culture acceptable to the sponsors; this could include such aspects as
- ability to maintain and operate the ship
- ability to accomplish the purpose (planetary colonization, research, building new interstellar arks) contemplated
- sharing the values of the sponsors (which are not likely to be empirically demonstrated to be viable beyond the home planet).
Considerations for sleeper-ship proposals
A sleeper type crewed starship would probably be propelled by a DaedalusProject Daedalus
Project Daedalus was a study conducted between 1973 and 1978 by the British Interplanetary Society to design a plausible unmanned interstellar spacecraft. Intended mainly as a scientific probe, the design criteria specified that the spacecraft had to use current or near-future technology and had to...
type fusion microexplosion nuclear pulse propulsion
Nuclear pulse propulsion
Nuclear pulse propulsion is a proposed method of spacecraft propulsion that uses nuclear explosions for thrust. It was first developed as Project Orion by DARPA, after a suggestion by Stanislaw Ulam in 1947...
system, that may allow it to obtain an interstellar cruising velocity of up to 10% of the speed of light
Speed of light
The speed of light in vacuum, usually denoted by c, is a physical constant important in many areas of physics. Its value is 299,792,458 metres per second, a figure that is exact since the length of the metre is defined from this constant and the international standard for time...
.
At the present time, cryopreservation
Cryopreservation
Cryopreservation is a process where cells or whole tissues are preserved by cooling to low sub-zero temperatures, such as 77 K or −196 °C . At these low temperatures, any biological activity, including the biochemical reactions that would lead to cell death, is effectively stopped...
and other forms of "cold sleep" lasting decades or longer are only theoretical possibilities, as it is currently impossible to reverse the process of cryopreservation. These possibilities are suggested by the short-term hibernation of certain mammalian species. Hypothermia and hibernation can greatly reduce the amount of food, water, and oxygen required to keep a human (or any other animal) alive while in stasis (suspended animation
Suspended animation
Suspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use...
/induced hibernation
Hibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
).
Developing the medical technology that is required to achieve a "sleeper" type starship may theoretically be an achievable goal for late in the 21st century, depending on funding and laboratory experiments.
The appeal of these methods rests on hopes of:
- reducing ship mass by eliminating the equipment needed by an active ship-city population (without cold-sleep-maintaining and -reversing equipment of comparable mass), and/or
- avoiding the need for an acceptable ark-adapted culture.
Both Orion type thermonuclear pulse drive starships, and Daedalus type thermonuclear pulse drive starships could be built and launched towards nearby stars within a 10 light-year radius of the solar system later in the 21st century, if there was sufficient funding and political will to do this.
Orbital habitat
The ark has also been proposed as a potential habitat to preserve civilization and knowledge in the event of a global catastrophe.Enzmann starship
In 1964, Robert Enzmann proposed a large fusion powered spacecraft that could function as an interstellar ark, supporting a crew of 200 with extra space for expansion, on multi-year journeys at subluminal speeds to nearby star systems.Fiction
- The 1933 novel When Worlds CollideWhen Worlds CollideWhen Worlds Collide is a 1933 science fiction novel co-written by Philip Wylie and Edwin Balmer; they both also co-authored the sequel After Worlds Collide...
is one of the earliest examples of an interstellar ark. To save humanity from extinction when a star is about to destroy Earth, a group of astronomers construct a massive spaceship to carry forty humans, in addition to livestock and equipment, to a new planet.
- Jack WilliamsonJack WilliamsonJohn Stewart Williamson , who wrote as Jack Williamson was a U.S. writer often referred to as the "Dean of Science Fiction" following the death in 1988 of Robert A...
's 1934 story "Born of the Sun" is another early example, in which planets are revealed to be no more than eggs for immense creatures. A steel magnate and his geologist/astrophysicist uncle create an "ark of space" to preserve the human race in the six months left in the Earth's existence. The ark is designed to hold two thousand people, be powered off of cosmic rayCosmic rayCosmic rays are energetic charged subatomic particles, originating from outer space. They may produce secondary particles that penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and surface. The term ray is historical as cosmic rays were thought to be electromagnetic radiation...
s, and to recycle water and waste to create synthetic food and air, thus providing for an unlimited survival of its crew in space.
- A group of three large arks served as the homes and battleships of the space-faring Thraki race in William C. DietzWilliam C. DietzWilliam C. Dietz is the best-selling author of more than thirty novels some of which have been translated into German, French, Russian, Korean and Japanese...
's Legion of the Damned series.
- The concept of an interstellar ark was used humorously in the cult sci-fi classic The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it was later adapted to other formats, and over several years it gradually became an international multi-media phenomenon...
, in the form of the B-Ark of the Golgafrincham Ark Fleet, filled to capacity with cryosleeping advertising executives, management consultants, independent filmmakers, and other "undesirables" whom the Golgafrinchams wanted to expel. Hitchhiker's Guide author Douglas AdamsDouglas AdamsDouglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
had first proposed these plot elements for a TV special that was to have featured Ringo StarrRingo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
, but the show was never produced.
- The StarlostThe StarlostThe Starlost is a Canadian-produced science fiction television series devised by writer Harlan Ellison and broadcast in 1973 on CTV in Canada and syndicated to local stations in the United States. The show's setting is a huge generational colony spacecraft called The Ark, which has gone off-course...
is a television series about a generation shipGeneration shipA generation ship is a hypothetical type of interstellar ark starship that travels across great distances between stars at a speed much slower than the speed of light...
lost in space, whose inhabitants had forgotten that they were on a ship.
- In the PC game OutpostOutpost (computer game)Outpost is a video game developed and published by Sierra On-Line. In general terms the game is a science-fiction version of SimCity, taking place on a distant planet...
series, an interstellar ark named Conestoga was used to evacuate a population of humans from the impending destruction of Earth.
- The PC game Alien LegacyAlien LegacyAlien Legacy is a sci-fi strategy game developed by Ybarra Productions, Inc. and published by Sierra On-Line in 1994 for the DOS operating system on the PC.-Gameplay:...
features "seedships", used to spread mankind due to an interstellar warInterstellar warIn fiction, an interstellar war is a war between combatants whose respective headquarters lie in different planetary systems. It is a popular plot device in science fiction, especially in the space opera subgenre. An intergalactic war refers to war between combatants of different galaxies...
that might wipe out the Earth.
- The SS Botany Bay was a sleeper ship used by Khan Noonien SinghKhan Noonien SinghKhan Noonien Singh, commonly shortened to Khan, is a villain in the fictional Star Trek universe. According to backstory given in the character's first appearance, the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Space Seed" , Khan is a genetically engineered superhuman tyrant who once controlled more...
in the Star TrekStar Trek: The Original SeriesStar Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
first season episode "Space Seed".
- A Star Trek third season episode episode entitled "For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" takes place on a hollow asteroidAsteroidAsteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
generation 'ship' called Yonada.
- The Centauri Princess is a cylindrical interstellar ark peopled with humans, depicted in elaborate detail in the novel First Ark to Alpha CentauriAlpha CentauriAlpha Centauri is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Centaurus...
by A. Ahad
- The cylindrical generation ship Vanguard serves as the centerpiece of Robert A. HeinleinRobert A. HeinleinRobert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
's 1963 novel Orphans of the SkyOrphans of the SkyOrphans of the Sky is a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, consisting of two parts: "Universe" and its sequel, "Common Sense" . The two novellas were first published together in book form in 1963. "Universe" was also published separately in 1951 as a 10¢ Dell paperback...
, a combination of two shorter 1941 works.
- In the animated Disney-Pixar film WALL-EWALL-EWALL-E, promoted with an interpunct as WALL•E, is a 2008 American computer-animated science fiction film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Andrew Stanton. The story follows a robot named WALL-E, who is designed to clean up a waste-covered Earth far in the future...
, the space vessel Axiom, originally intended as a temporary dwelling for humanity for a 5 year period during which robots were to clean up an environmentally devastated Earth, becomes a de facto ark housing multiple generations of humans over a period of 700 years.
- In Stargate AtlantisStargate AtlantisStargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
third season episode "The Ark", Colonel Sheppard's team discovers a facility inside a hollowed-out moon that turns out to be an ark created by the people of the planet around which the moon is in orbit. The ark was built to preserve the existence of the people from the planet and rebuild its civilization after a WraithWraith (Stargate)In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the Wraith are the original enemy alien species, first introduced in the pilot episode . In the series, they are a vampire-like telepathic race who feed on the "life-force" of humans, and are the dominant power in the Pegasus galaxy...
defeat. People were stored in stasis in the ark using Wraith beaming technology. The government then waged an unwinnable war against the Wraith, and purposely decimated the remainder of their own population with atomic bombs, leading the Wraith to believe that these people are extinct.
- Episode 30 of the radio drama Dimension XDimension XDimension X was an NBC radio program broadcast on an unsponsored, sustaining basis from April 8, 1950 to September 29, 1951. The first 13 episodes were broadcast live, and the remainder were pre-recorded...
, "Universe", featured a seed ship whose human population had split into the lower deck inhabitants and the upper deck inhabitants. The upper deck inhabitants were mutated by radiation leaking through the ship's hull. The inhabitants were not aware they were on a ship and believed the vessel contained the entirety of the universe. The episode was written by Robert A. HeinleinRobert A. HeinleinRobert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
.
- In the Warhammer 40,000Warhammer 40,000Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
fictional universe, the EldarEldarEldar is both a Hebrew first/last name meaning "god resides" and a rare Norse first name meaning "Warrior who fights with fire" Eld=fire. It is also a Muslim name meaning 'ruler' in the Persian language. Its also the word for 'fires' in the Icelandic, Swedish and Norwegian language...
race live and travel aboard interstellar arks, CraftworldsEldar Craftworlds (Warhammer 40,000)This is a list of Craftworlds, or planet-like homes, of the Eldar race in the Warhammer 40,000 fictional setting.-History of the Craftworlds:...
- In Rendezvous with RamaRendezvous with RamaRendezvous with Rama is a novel by Arthur C. Clarke first published in 1972. Set in the 22nd century, the story involves a cylindrical alien starship that enters Earth's solar system...
, by Arthur C. ClarkeArthur C. ClarkeSir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
, an alien interstellar ark transits through Earth's solar system.
- In Hull Zero ThreeHull Zero ThreeHull Zero Three is a science fiction novel from Greg Bear. It was published on November 22, 2010. It is set on a generation ship that has lost its way under mysterious circumstances.-Critical reception:...
, by Greg BearGreg BearGregory Dale Bear is an American science fiction and mainstream author. His work has covered themes of galactic conflict , artificial universes , consciousness and cultural practices , and accelerated evolution...
(2010), an interstellar ark is equipped with a library of biological forms and generates customized individuals as needed during its voyage.