The purpose of the Alpha Centauri Prize Committee is to award prizes and sponsorships to incentivise progress in interstellar studies, both within the i4is teams and within the community, as well as recognising notable contributions.
Welcome to the awards section of the Initiative for Interstellar Studies known as the Alpha Centauri Prize Awards. We have a set of prizes awarded for different categories. These are the Progenitor Award, Progress Award, Proxima Award, Protege Award, Pioneer Award, and each is defined below. These are not currently awarded at regular intervals, but are giving out when we think someone is deserving, or subject to our team resources.
The recent launch of a set of Alpha Centauri Prizes by the Initiative for Interstellar Studies, is surely a welcome development in the interstellar community, as a way to incentivise progress. The logo was designed by Kelvin F.Long and Adrian Mann. The logo depicts the Centauri A/B and Proxima Centauri system, as our nearest stars, along with a graphic of the British Interplantary Society Project Daedalus Starship, the first "starship design" in history.
Anyone from the community proposing someone, should have a seconder also proposing. They should specify the name of the person they are proposing and citing the specific reasons and type of award for which they think they should be considered. You may contact us with suggestions at any time.
The different types of awards are now described.
Progenitor award
This is usually awarded at a conference for a paper or presentation “to demonstrate the greatest potential amongst all the presentations given at the event for influencing the direction of research into interstellar flight, either technologically, culturally or economically“. This award is made by attending representatives of the i4is, a respresentative of the financial sponsor, and a panel of specially picked judges for the occasion. The award amount is typically around £500.
Current Winners:
- Dr Armen Papazian, Progenitor Award, Presentation “Money Mechanics for Space” during Starship Congress August 2013, Dallas, Texas, USA, $500, sponsored by Icarus Interstellar.
Proxima award
This is awarded “to a member of the Initiative for Interstellar Studies who has contributed to our mission, with a standard of excellence that is notable and distinguished, going above and beyond the duties expected of their role, to the benefit of interstellar flight“. This award is made by the i4is Alpha Centauri Prize committee, with proposals from the organisational leadership. The award amount is typically around £100.
Current Winners:
- Mr Keith Cooper and Mr Adrian Mann, Proxima Award, For the Editing and Production of the I4IS publication Principium, £200, sponsored by Stellar Engines Ltd.
- Mr Jeremy Clark, Proxima Award, For the development of the I4IS Educational Smarth App, £100, sponsored by Stellar Engines Ltd
- Mr John Davies and Mrs Gillian Norman, Proxima Award, For the planning and execution of Loncon3, £200, sponsored by Stellar Engines Ltd
Progress award
This is awarded “for the best research innovation in starship design studies which credibly advances a specific field of study, published in a paper or presented at a conference event, relevant to interstellar flight“. This award is made by the i4is Alpha Centauri Prize committee, with proposals being made primarilly from the Chairman of the technical committee. The award amount is typically around £500.
Current Winners:
- Mr Nikolaos Perakis, Mr Johannes Gutsmiedl, Mr Martin Losekamm, Mr Lukas Schrenk, Mr Artur Koop, The Technical University of Munich, Progress Award, awarded for winning the Project Dragonfly student design competition, £500, July 2015.
Protege award
This is awarded “for the best young person or student product which discussed a specific field of study, published in a paper or presented at a conference, relevant to interstellar flight“. This award is made by the i4is Alpha Centauri Prize committee, with proposals being made primarilly by the Chairman of the Educational Academy Committee. The award amount is typically around £500.
Current Winners:
- Mr Piotr Murzionak, Protege Award, 500 euros, for his ISU/i4is Msc study 'The Oculus Project: Solar Sailing to Discover Exoplanets at the Center of our Galaxy', September 2013.
- Mr Andrew Alexander, Protege Award, 500 euros, for his ISU/i4is Msc study 'Project BAIR: The Black Hole Augmented Interstellar Ramjet', September 2014.
- Ms Melissa Guzman, Protégé Award, 500 euros, for her ISU/i4is Msc study 'Space Eternal Memory', September 2015.
- Mr Ruslan Skomorohov, Protégé Award, 500 euros, for his ISU/i4is Msc study 'In-Orbit Spacecraft Manufacturing: Near-Term Business Cases', September 2016.
Pioneer award
This is awarded “to an individual or team that has conducted an outstanding piece of theoretical or experimental research, that advances our knowledge of interstellar flight“. This award is made by the Alpha Centauri Prize committee, and submissions from the community can be received at any time. The award amount is typically around £250 for an individual or £500 for a team.
Current Winners:
- The i4is Andromeda Probe team, Pioneer Award, £100 each, which consisted of Kelvin F Long, Andreas Hein, Rob Swinney, Richard Osborne, John Davies, Stefan Zeidler, Angelo Genovese, Bill Cress, Martin Langer, Dan Fries, Nikolas Perakis, Lukas Schrenk, Marc Casson, Sam Harrison, Adrian Mann, Rachel Armstrong, March 2016. Project Andromeda was a short three day intensive study on the design of a beam powered interstellar probe to be sent to Alpha Centauri at 0.1c in 50 years. It was written as a delivery for the Breakthrough Initiative.
Prometheus award
This is awarded “to an individual that has contributed artistically, to the field of interstellar studies, over multiple projects and co-operating with many people, and in a way that communicates the vision of interstellar flight with inspiration“. This award is made by the Alpha Centauri Prize committee, and submissions from the community can be received at any time. The award amount is typically around £250.
Current Winners:
- none to date
Pegasus award
This is awarded “to an individual that has contributed meaninfully, to the field of interstellar studies over a sustained period not less than ten years, with a standard of excellcence and committement that is distinguished“. This award is made by the Alpha Centauri Prize committee, and submissions from the community can be received at any time. The award amount is typically around £500.
Current Winners:
- none to date