Initiative for Interstellar Studies Announces Winners of the Project Hyperion Design Competition

Initiative for Interstellar Studies Announces Winners of the Project Hyperion Design Competition

Global teams reimagine sustainable generation ship habitats for humanity’s interstellar future

The UK-based not-for-profit company Initiative for Interstellar Studies (i4is) is delighted to reveal the winners of the Project Hyperion Design Competition, a landmark global challenge that called upon interdisciplinary teams to envision a generation ship—a crewed interstellar spacecraft designed for a 250-year journey to a habitable planet. The teams designed habitats of such a spacecraft that would allow a society to sustain itself and flourish in a highly resource-constrained environment. 

The Project Hyperion Design Competition required architectural designers, engineers, and social scientists to collaborate and address critical mission aspects that enable a spacecraft to function as a closed society over centuries. The collaboration between different disciplines is key to finding holistic solutions that do justice to the complexity of the requirements, in order to provide:

• Habitability for 1,000 ± 500 people over centuries
• Artificial gravity via rotation
• A society that ensures good living conditions, including essential provisions such as shelter, clothing, and other basic needs.
• Robust life support systems for food, water, waste, and the atmosphere
• Knowledge transfer mechanisms to retain culture and technologies

More details about the competition requirements can be found here.

Winners

Winners were selected if they were able to integrate the various design aspects (architecture, engineering, social sciences) coherently and their general depth of detail, among other criteria. 

• First Place: Chrysalis – Impressed the jury with its system-level coherence and innovative design of the modular habitat structure but also overall depth of detail, for example, mission preparation and manufacturing. (Link to submission)
• Second Place: WFP Extreme – For its overall consistency and particularly in cultural and societal ideas, for example, clothing and spiritual places. (Link to submission)
• Third Place: Systema Stellare Proximum – Great, immersive storytelling connected with potential social, technical and cultural implications. (Link to submission)

Honorable Mentions

Ten teams received Honorable Mentions for excelling in specific, thought-provoking aspects of their submissions that will advance the state of the art. (Listed in alphabetical order):

• Arkkana – Excellence in considering the temporal dimension and evolving roles of the population over time.
• EBS: Endless Beyond the Stars – Innovative “negotiopolis” concept that bridges architecture and social organization.
• F.A.O.C first asteroid O’Neill colony – Original architectural vision of integrating the habitat into an asteroid.
• HELIOS ARK – A holistic approach and strong system-level coherence.
• Orion – A thoughtful, low-tech design emphasizing knowledge and technology transfer.
• Principium Hereditatis – A compelling narrative structure and a symbolically rich modular habitat.
• STASS Associazione Professionale – Standout in knowledge transfer, immersive storytelling, and humanistic depth.
• The Belgian Space Hikers – A highly creative take on the social dimension of space living.
• undagila – A deeply poetic, culturally immersive vision with emphasis on intergenerational continuity, ritual, and symbolic heritage.
• WeSpace – A cleanly presented, holistic design that balanced aesthetics with conceptual depth, including bio-inspiration and human-centric design.

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