Initiative for Interstellar Studies

Working towards the achievement of interstellar flight through knowledge to the stars - Starships in our lifetime

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Initiative for Interstellar Studies

Working towards the achievement of interstellar flight through knowledge to the stars — Starships in our lifetime.

Initiative for Interstellar Studies

Your Gateway to Interstellar Studies

If you are interested in travel to world's beyond our own, to other star systems, and the discovery of new knowledge and life, you have come to the right place. The 20th Century was the time for the planets. The 21st Century is the time for the stars. This is the portal to the Cosmos.

Sustainability

The Sustainability and Development Committee, has the purpose of seeking space-based technological solutions to solving problems on Earth and in space, human made or environmental, and improving the human condition and harmonising cultural relations. Read more » about Sustainability

Technical

The Technical Research Committee conducts innovative theoretical and experimental research and development across the broad spectrum of issues relating to interstellar studies, associated sciences and the arts. Read more » about Technical

Reaching the Stars in a Century using Fusion Propulsion

Fusion-based rocket propulsion remains our best current option to deliver substantial probe payloads to the nearest stars quickly. Project Icarus was founded by members of the British Interplanetary Society (BIS) and Tau Zero Foundation in 2009. It is now a joint effort by the BIS and Icarus Interstellar to build on BIS Project Daedalus using […]

The AttoSat Manifesto

The AttoSat Manifesto AttoSats in orbit (Image: Efflam Mercier) Despite the advent of CubeSats, PocketQubes, and femto satellites, developing and launching a spacecraft still costs a fortune, the equivalent of buying a house. It also takes years to get from the initial concept to launch. This means that space exploration for education is still only […]

Extreme Deep Space Exploration: A Personal Perspective by R Swinney

Some people are working on how we might really travel to the stars in the near future.  Rob Swinney, i4is, Fellow of the BIS, Project Leader of Project Icarus and former RAF squadron leader will discuss the likely methods and means in a way understandable to all.  In the near future will it be giant […]

Principium

Principium is the community magazine of the Initiative for Interstellar Studies. It features educational articles, accessible technical articles and news from the interstellar community and the wider world of space exploration. It presents an inspiring vision of the future humankind - if we work … Principium » about Principium

Axiom

Since 2015 we have been producing our own academic education journal titled 'Axiom'. The journal aims to question existing paradigms of thought or basic assumptions of knowledge and therefore facilitate new enquiries of thought. The papers published vary from discussions on anthropological interactions among cultures, to the nature of intelligence in the Cosmos. Axiom » about Axiom

Starship Engineer

The Starship Engineer course is our collective brand name for a set of education courses that we run. These courses are designed to teach participants the basics of spacecraft starship engineering. Typically this includes a team workshop exercise where the attendees complete a technical design solution challenge before presenting their solution to each other. Starship Engineer » about Starship Engineer

Laser Sail Propulsion

The Initiative for Interstellar Studies are not just focussed on theoretical discussions about interstellar flight. We are also planning ground demonstrations of critical technologies and even a low Earth orbit (LEO) space mission demonstrator. Technical programmes Project Dragonfly and Project Glowworm are investigating laser sail propulsion technology to make humanity a space fairing species. Project Glowworm » about Project Glowworm

British Interplanetary Society International Space University Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop Simon Bowden Sci-fi London Stellar Engines CSR Tamke-Allen Observatory UK SEDS Breakthrough Initiatives Technical University Munich Bristol Spaceplanes