How Long Could a Generation Ship Really Survive in Deep Space?

How Long Could a Generation Ship Really Survive in Deep Space? A generation ship is the only credible concept for moving human beings between stars. But could one actually survive the journey? Tonight we work through every layer of the problem: the population genetics a founding crew needs to maintain across 15 generations, the closed-loop life support systems that have never been demonstrated at full scale, the galactic cosmic ray environment that slowly damages biology and electronics alike, the social dynamics of communities born into a mission they never chose, and the question of what happens if the destination planet turns out not to be what was expected. Subscribe for more deep-space documentaries every week. Sources: Cameron, C. (2018). A Simulation of the Minimum Crew Requirements for an Interstellar Voyage. Initiative for Interstellar Studies. Marin, F. & Beluffi, C. (2018). Computing the Minimal Crew for a Multi-Generational Trip Towards Proxima Centauri b. JBIS, 71, 45-52. Martin, A.R. (Ed.) (1978). Project Daedalus: The Final Report on the BIS Starship Study. British Interplanetary Society. Long, K.F. (2012). Deep Space Propulsion: A Roadmap to Interstellar Flight. Springer. Dyson, F.J. (1968). Interstellar Transport. Physics Today, 21(10), 41-45. Allen, J.P. & Nelson, M. (1999). Biospherics and Biosphere 2, Mission One (1991-1993). Ecological Engineering, 13, 15-29. Obe, A. et al. (2016). MELiSSA: The Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative. ESA Technical Report. Ord, T. (2020). The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity. Hachette Books. Crawford, I.A. (2010). The Astronomical, Astrobiological and Planetary Science Case for Interstellar Spaceflight. JBIS, 63, 186-200. Vakoch, D.A. (Ed.) (2014). Archaeology, Anthropology, and Interstellar Communication. NASA History Series.