Project Icarus

Introduction

The Project Icarus Study Group was formed in 2009 by Kevin Long to update and redesign the groundbreaking 1970s British Interplanetary Society (BIS) Project Daedalus. The Daedalus study resulted in a two-stage vehicle using inertial confinement fusion engines to fly-by Barnard's star over 5 light years distant. Overall, Daedalus attempted to show that interstellar travel was feasible. Icarus attempted to show that it was also credible in the next century.

It ran under the stewardship of Icarus Interstellar, from 2009 to about 2014-2015, when it died off for a number of different reason that will not be detailed here. It lingered on till about 2019, when it was essentially put to rest by Icarus Interstellar.

The Project had a number of leaders, the last one being Robert Swinney, and produced a number of good papers(). The project report was never finished, but a number of chapters were written and a ''narrative'' version was prepared by Michel Lamontagne (me!) as a personal initiative, after I joined the project. This version was not accepted by the Icarus Interstellar leadership, and ''died'' in 2018.

I have recycled a large part of the ''narrative'' report into this Website, removing to the best of my ability all parts that were not prepared by myself, or for which the authors did not provide permission to use. As the Website was not prepared under the responsibility of Icarus Interstellar, it lays no claim to any particular expertise or gives responsibility to Icarus Interstellar. All errors and imprecisions are my own.

I hope you find it enjoyable, despite its limitations. I certainly enjoyed preparing it!

Michel Lamontagne, 2020, Otterburn Park, Quebec, Canada.

Terms of reference, Icarus Study

These are the terms of reference and higher level objectives for the Icarus study, that guided the design of the Project Icarus probe. They were chosen to challenge the designers and provide continuity with the original Daedalus study.

• Project Icarus will build on the work of Project Daedalus. It will produce a design for an unmanned probe that can deliver useful scientific data about the target star, associated planetary bodies, stellar environment, and the interstellar medium.

• The spacecraft will use current or near-future technology, and should be launched as soon as is credibly determined.

• The spacecraft shall reach its stellar destination within a century of its launch, and ideally much sooner.

• The spacecraft design shall allow missions to a variety of target stars.

• The spacecraft propulsion shall be mainly fusion based.

• The spacecraft shall decelerate for increased encounter time at the destination.

Higher Level Objectives

• HL-001 (Must) The spacecraft shall be decelerated sufficiently to allow it to enter orbit around a star in the Alpha Centauri A-B system.

• HL-002 (Must) The spacecraft shall arrive at the destination system no later than 100 years after the craft is launched.

• HL-003 (Must) The spacecraft shall be able to carry a payload of at least 100 tonnes, which shall be decelerated with the main spacecraft. (The payload mass does not include structural elements of the craft.)

• HL-004 (Should) The spacecraft shall be able to carry a payload of at least 150 tonnes, which shall be decelerated with the main spacecraft. (The payload mass does not include structural elements of the craft.)

• HL-005 (Must) The mission shall be able to make scientific measurements of the interstellar medium during the cruise phase to Alpha Centauri.

• HL-006 (Must) The mission shall make scientific observations of at least one star in the Alpha Centauri system from a distance of no more than one AU.

• HL-007 (Must) The mission shall place scientific payloads into low orbit of no more than 1000 km periapsis around at least one planet in the system. This will allow high-resolution remote-sensing observations of the atmosphere and surface.

• HL-008 (Should) The mission shall be able to deploy sub-probes. These will make in-situ investigations of the atmospheres and surfaces of at least four planets in the Alpha Centauri system. They will be able to make in-situ measurements at many locations on the same planet.

• HL-009 (Could) The mission shall be able to deploy sub-probes to make in-situ investigations of the atmospheres and surfaces of planets orbiting different stellar components of the system.

Next up: Why go Interstellar ?