Initiative for Interstellar Studies

The Initiative for Interstellar Studies (i4is) was founded in London in 2012 as a not-for-profit unincorporated organisation.^[1] Its stated objectives are education and research in to the challenges of Interstellar Travel. i4is was incorporated in the UK in May 2014 as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee (Companies House number:09062458). Its original title of Institute for Interstellar Studies reflects the stated ambitions of the company.

Several of its principals were involved in the 100 Year Starship project originated by NASA and DARPA.^[2]

The Vision Statement of the i4is is : “We aspire towards an optimistic future for humans on Earth and in space. Our bold vision is to be an organisation which is central to catalysing the conditions in society over the next century to enable robotic and human exploration of the frontier beyond our Solar System and to other stars, as part of a long-term enduring strategy and towards a sustainable space-based economy.”.^[3]

The first of a planned annual series of symposia inspired by the i4is took place on 29 May 2013 at the British Interplanetary Society(BIS). Titled The Philosophy of the Starship^[4] it included contributions on self-replicating Von Neumann probes, the Fermi Paradox, developments since the British Interplanetary Society Project Daedalus of 1975, interstellar discovery as an antidote to intellectual stagnation citing the views of John Locke and Francis Fukuyama, science fiction as a vehicle for discussion of the ethics and cultural impact of alien contact and geopolitical influence on deep space exploration.

The i4is sponsors the Alpha Centauri Award. The first Alpha Centauri Award^[5] was to Armen Papazian ^[6] for his paper Money Mechanics For Space.^[7] at the first Starship Congress.^[8][9]

The i4is publishes a quarterly newsletter, Principium.^[10]

The i4is sponsors postgraduate work at the International Space University and awarded its first prize^[11] to M.Sc. student Piotr Murzionak on 29 August 2013.

The Initiative for Interstellar Studies delivered a 2-week elective to the students on the Masters of Space Studies course at the International Space University, Strasbourg, 2–13 May 2016. The course modules were delivered by Professor Chris Welch of the International Space University, Professor Ian Crawford of Birkbeck College, University of London, Robert Swinney, chair of the i4is Education Committee, Kelvin F Long, Executive Director of the i4is, Angelo Genovese, Andreas Hein, John I Davies, Marc Casson, Sam Harrison and Stephen Ashworth.^[12]

Background

Although practical studies of interstellar travel date back as far as the JBIS red cover editions in the early 1950s and the BIS Daedalus Project in the 1970s, there has been a resurgence of interest in the 2010s and a number of initiatives and institutions have paid attention to the subject. These include the 100 Year Starship project of NASA and DARPA, the Tau Zero Foundation, the Global Starship Alliance, Star Voyager, and Icarus Interstellar.

Kelvin F. Long, Initiative founder and author of Deep Space Propulsion: A Roadmap to Interstellar Flight, said that DARPA's 100 Year Starship study and symposia "attempt to create a new industry that focuses on research and cultural-political transformations, so that the conditions can be seeded for a starflight capable society to be created." The Initiative, Icarus Interstellar, and the Tau Zero Foundation are sister organizations in launching related projects.^[13]

Notable Projects

i4is has initiated a project working on small interstellar spacecraft, propelled by a laser sail in 2014 under the name of Project Dragonfly.^[14][15] Four student teams worked on concepts for such a mission in 2014 and 2015 in the context of a design competition.^[16][17]

Prominent Figures

The i4is has a number of internationally renowned academics and engineers who have oversight and involvement with its work -

• Dr Rachel Armstrong, Professor of Experimental Architecture^[18] in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, UK, is Director Sustainability & Development for i4is.
• James Benford, President of Microwave Sciences, is a consultant to i4is.
• Alan Bond, Managing Director of Reaction Engines Limited, is a consultant to i4is.
• Dr Ian Crawford, Professor of Planetary Science and Astrobiology at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London^[19] is a member of the Advisory Council of the i4is
• Freeman Dyson FRS, theoretical physicist and mathematician, professor emeritus Institute for Advanced Study is a member of the Advisory Council of the i4is.
• Roman Kezerashvili, Associate Professor in Physical & Biological Sciences New York City College of Technology^[20] is a member of the Advisory Council of the i4is,
• Kelvin F. Long, astrophysicist, editor of the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society and member of the Management and Advisory Committee of Breakthrough Starshot is Executive Director of the i4is.
• Claudio Maccone, chair of the SETI Permanent Committee of the International Academy of Astronautics is a member of the Advisory Council of the i4is.
• Gregory L. Matloff, professor New York City College of Technology^[21] is Chair of the Advisory Council of the i4is.
• Misha Shmatov, senior research fellow at the Ioffe Institute is a senior researcher at the i4is.
• Austin Tate, Professor of Knowledge-Based Systems, University of Edinburgh ^[22] is contributing expertise to Artificial Intelligence and remote vehicle operations to the work of the i4is.
• Dr Chris Welch, Resident Faculty member of the International Space University (ISU),^[23] and a Visiting Lecturer in Spacecraft Propulsion at Cranfield University is Deputy Chair of the Advisory Council of the i4is.

References

External links

• British Interplanetary Society website
• Journal of the British Interplanetary Society
• International Space University
• 20 minutes talk by Chris Welch about The Institute for Interstellar Studies during SpaceUp Stuttgart 2012 (YouTube Video)