Engineers reveal design of spacecraft that could take 2,400 people to nearest star, Alpha Centauri

Chrysalis could sustain multiple generations before reaching Alpha Centauri, where it would transport passengers to the surface of Proxima Centauri b. (Image: Giacomo Infelise, Veronica Magli, Guido Sbrogio', Nevenka Martinello and Federica Chiara Serpe​)

A spacecraft concept could one day take thousands beyond our solar system. Engineers have unveiled Chrysalis, a vessel designed for a 400-year journey to Alpha Centauri.

Journey to a New Star System
Chrysalis could transport up to 2,400 people to Proxima Centauri b, an Earth-sized exoplanet believed to be potentially habitable. The trip would cover around 40 trillion kilometres, making it a one-way mission for many generations. The project recently won first place in the Project Hyperion Design Competition.

Life on Board Chrysalis
Before departure, the first inhabitants would train in Antarctica for decades to adapt to isolation. The 58-kilometre-long vessel would rotate to maintain gravity and contain layered habitats around a central core. Inner levels would produce food, while other layers would house homes, schools, industries and resource storage. Robots could manage outer storage areas to reduce human labour.

Managing Society in Space
Population growth would be planned to sustain about 1,500 people. Governance would combine human decision-making with artificial intelligence for continuity across generations. Although technologies like commercial nuclear fusion do not yet exist, the concept offers insights that could shape future interstellar missions.