Mission Overview

1gSpace initiates interstellar operations with the Alpha Centauri Exploratory Probe (ACEP), deployed as the first operational element of a staged mission architecture targeting the Proxima Centauri system. The mission establishes in-flight validation of propulsion, autonomy, and long-duration system behavior under interstellar conditions.

Following orbital arrival, ACEP provides environmental, orbital, and surface context required to constrain uncertainty for subsequent crewed and logistical mission stages. Observational priorities include atmospheric and surface characterization, magnetic and radiation environment assessment, and verification of autonomous system performance during continuous 1 g flight.

1g Constant Acceleration

At relativistic speeds, two effects dominate interstellar travel. First, the ship can reach a very high fraction of the speed of light under sustained 1g acceleration. Second, time aboard the ship runs slower than time on Earth due to time dilation. Together, this means destinations separated by centuries of Earth time can be reached in far less ship time - without ever exceeding light speed.

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Proxima Centauri

Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun at 4.24 light years, is a small, cool red dwarf gravitationally bound to the Alpha Centauri A/B pair, which orbit each other, yet dynamically distinct from the central binary and hosting its own planetary system.

Three planets orbit Proxima Centauri: Proxima d, a small, hot inner planet on a tight short-period orbit; Proxima c, a distant, cool, massive planet far outside the temperate zone; and Proxima b, a terrestrial-mass planet in the temperate region, tidally locked with permanent day and night hemispheres, where only the terminator zone offers conditions compatible with long-term human presence and sustained surface activity.

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Initial Human Presence

The first crewed mission stage is defined around ISV Innes, which delivers a small, specialized crew to the Proxima Centauri system to validate human operations under interstellar conditions and assess the local environment in situ.

Following crewed validation, the uncrewed logistics vehicle ISV Anglada delivers modular infrastructure and surface systems. These assets form the basis of Eternal Sunset, the first planned surface installation, establishing a stable operational foothold for sustained activity.

Long-Duration Settlement

The final mission stage is defined by large-scale population transfer using ISV Proxima, expanding the initial surface infrastructure into a sustained human settlement within the Proxima Centauri system’s temperate planetary region.

Eternal Sunset evolves from an initial operational base into a permanent settlement, while a secondary installation, Eternal Sunrise, is later established using in-situ materials and locally adapted systems, marking the transition toward distributed and increasingly self-sufficient planetary operations.