How Would You Build an Interstellar Spacecraft?

In order to achieve interstellar space navigation and colonize other planets, scientists envision building an interstellar colony spaceship. The spacecraft will create a similar Earth-like scenario, and promote the psychological and physical adaptation of the interstellar trailblazers to the environment. This spaceship can hold at least 10,000 people and will adopt a modular design, including one or more clusters of residences, each of which has the necessary facilities.

Interstellar colony

An interstellar colony ship (CIV for short) conceived for stellar travel. This spacecraft will be modular

Designing CIV faces numerous technical challenges. In addition, designers must consider the psychological and emotional needs of the occupants when creating the spacecraft environment. If there is no reasonable planning, neglecting the physical, psychological and space requirements of the occupants, even if unprecedented achievements have been made in terms of technology, humans flying this type of spacecraft may face mission failures due to the unsatisfactory living environment when performing interstellar missions. doom.

The environment of the interstellar spacecraft needs to meet the spiritual needs of the occupants, and at the same time, it must have practical daily functions. They are as important as cosmic radiation protection facilities, food production, and on-target

"Consideration" should run through the design of the interstellar spacecraft to ensure a "harmony" between the design of the spacecraft's infrastructure and its users. Basically, a CIV should be one or more groups of residences, each of which has the necessary facilities to meet the needs of the colonists. The buildings and gaps in the spacecraft need to be able to create a healthy community living environment and meet the basic territorial and privacy needs that residents are accustomed to on Earth. Listed below are some environmental designs that can promote the physical and mental health of residents:

1. Allow residents to adjust the structure and visual appearance of a space

2. Create a narrow and long landscape and far focus

3. Make use of the structural design space to make discovery and evolution a possibility

4. Materials, forms, shapes, textures, and colors should be full of change, and encourage designs that attract people's attention.

5. Keep some look or naturalness of connected facilities

To design spacecraft for space exploration, scientists have proposed many geometric structures. The most popular geometric structures include spherical, cylindrical, torus, and ribbon torus. In terms of space utilization, previous studies have suggested that spherical and cylindrical shapes are less efficient than torus structures. Taking the torus structure as an example, the designer does not need to design the entire structure as a comfortable living space. It can be designed as a living cabin connected by a series of viaducts. The entire spacecraft is slowly rotated to produce artificial

It is important that Starship inhabitants need the ability to adjust and change their homes and nearby areas. Therefore, the design of the residence needs to be able to be changed into different forms, which can be periodically readjusted and maintained to be functional and healthy in the surrounding area. By building living quarters that are separated from each other, rather than building a living quarter, personnel on board the ship can have greater control in emergency situations, such as disease, outbreaks of agricultural diseases, or mechanical system failures.

Each residential module should be unique in terms of layout and utilization, forming a different landscape. Residents should be able to have a physically and mentally pleasing experience while living near their homes, and feel like living in a community on Earth. In addition, the community on the spacecraft must be carefully designed so that it cannot be quickly absorbed by the brain, nor will it be abandoned by the brain. The plants planted in the spaceship community need to have many functions, which can meet the food needs of residents and medical needs. Preserving walking corridors and open spaces between the structures allows colonists to meet, participate in social and recreational activities, give them a sense of freedom in their bodies and hearts, and promote their physical and mental health.

However, after all, the interstellar spacecraft is an artificial environment, and the residents will not be able to obtain the same life experience as the Earth. In order to be as close as possible, the construction materials of the spacecraft can be considered using wood and stone. The use of these materials can improve the quality of the space and connect people with nature. With the passage of time and technological progress, the power to design and build interstellar spaceships has increased. After decades, hundreds, or more of efforts, overcoming obstacles, the dream of building interstellar spacecraft will eventually become a reality. ^[1]