Project Persphone: British Scientists Building 'Living Space Ark' To Save Humanity

[marcus300]

Project Persphone: British Scientists Building 'Living Space Ark' To Save Humanity

British scientists are working on a space ark capable of sustaining humanity in the event of a global catastrophe.

Even though none of them will ever live to see it launched.

The Times reports that researchers from the universities of Greenwich, Warwick and Surrey are helping to lead the project, which is known as Project Persephone.

In all 13 scientists are involved, six British but also including team members from the USA, Italy and the Netherlands.

Above: a vision of a living spaceship by Adam Benton, including an 'open' design exposed to an internal nuclear engine/sun

The stated aim is to investigate "living technologies" that might help in the "context of habitable starship architecture that can respond and evolve according to the needs of its inhabitants". The vision is for a craft capable of sustaining a few thousand individuals for multiple generations, while the ship travels to a planet able to sustain life.

The idea is for the craft to be self-sustaining, forming an ecosystem which incorporates some of the same processes seen on Earth for generating light, air, water, food and gravity, but using the best elements of modern tech too.

Key to the effort will be the development of biofuels and artificial soil.

Rachel Armstrong, a senior architecture and design lecturer at the University of Greenwich, told the Times: "it's about challenging our notion of sustainability and looking at what the conditions are for survival and how we would take those with us."
On the project's website the team adds:

"A habitable long duration starship will need evolvable environments that not only use resources efficiently but can respond quickly to the needs of populations and bypass the current necessary time lags that are implicit in the current system – in identifying critical upgrades and then activating industrial supply and procurement chains – which are already playing catch-up by the time they are realized."

Among the group's recent blog posts include thoughts on how to pipe gas in a starship and how to fuel it.

Jeff Lee, Project Lead of the Icarus Interstellar X-Physics Propulsion & Power Project, recently answered the most obvious question -- why bother thinking about tech we can't build yet?

"The blunt answer is two fold. First, we don’t know that fruition will take centuries; it may, and then again, it may not. If we don’t first explore theoretical ideas, then we’ll never develop any technology. Second, our focus of research is on the physics behind ideas, not specific technological designs of those ideas (at least as far as XP4 is concerned). For instance, nobody knows how to produce vast quantities of the negative energy necessary for warp drive. In time, that may come. For now, we’re taking the first baby steps that may lead us to future technologies. Whether fruition takes 2 years, 20 years, or 200 years is actually much less important than the argument that we must begin somewhere."


Project Persphone: British Scientists Building 'Living Space Ark' To Save Humanity

[RaginCajun]

sign me up!

[slfmade]

Pretty cool. I just watch Elysium last night. Maybe they should watch it and get some pointers. LOL

[Times Roman]

they've had similar non space based projects that are ongoing. Seeds of every known plant stored and cataloged. And DNA samples of animals. Even the military stores viruses (biological).

once space based, the next logical step is to "copy and paste" (clone) these cataloged items onto multiple ships. And THEN, we can begin to colonize other earth like planets.

of course, on these other earth like planets, the chances of finding other life seems plausible. in that case, we would have to sterilize the planet. we would have no answer (immunologically) for that planet's viruses and bacteriological agents. Once the planet is sterilized, then we can play god and perform Genesis. Of course, we would have to rest on the seventh (7th) day. (my attempt at religious humor).

[lovbyts]

It sounds like the Jupiter one.

[Black]

Pretty cool. I just watch Elysium last night. Maybe they should watch it and get some pointers. LOL

Notice the political undertones in Elysium? Pretty much what is going on right now in reality. The lower class wanting the same entitlement as the upper class. The problem though is that they end the movie on a high note of course. If the movie were to continue, you would see Elysium ran to sh!t like the rest of the world.

I was voting for the upper class in that movie. Man I can't stand Matt Damon.

[marcus300]

Is Elysium worth watching?

[slfmade]

Is Elysium worth watching?

I found it a bit boring.

[Hazard]

they've had similar non space based projects that are ongoing. Seeds of every known plant stored and cataloged. And DNA samples of animals. Even the military stores viruses (biological).

once space based, the next logical step is to "copy and paste" (clone) these cataloged items onto multiple ships. And THEN, we can begin to colonize other earth like planets.

of course, on these other earth like planets, the chances of finding other life seems plausible. in that case, we would have to sterilize the planet. we would have no answer (immunologically) for that planet's viruses and bacteriological agents. Once the planet is sterilized, then we can play god and perform Genesis. Of course, we would have to rest on the seventh (7th) day. (my attempt at religious humor).

I actually heard the funding for the seeds was cut. It was an "unnecessary" cost to store them. Ill have to see if I can find it

[Times Roman]

Is Elysium worth watching?

Marcus

I watched a bit of it then stopped. Biggest objection is that the show has visions of grandeur on a budget that doesn't support the special effects. the aliens seem hokey, like back in the old star trek days. As a result, it would be very difficult for me to "get into it" and suspend disbelief

my .02

---Roman

[Times Roman]

I actually heard the funding for the seeds was cut. It was an "unnecessary" cost to store them. Ill have to see if I can find it

I think I read a single article on this a few years ago and haven't really kept up with it's current status. Let us know what you find out?

[kelkel]

Beam me up!

Fixed.