Interdisciplinary Center for Interstellar Exploration (iC)

Developing an Interdisciplinary Center for Interstellar Exploration at UCSB

In 2016 members of the House Appropriations Committee in Congress gave the directive to NASA to launch the first interstellar probes that will leave the Solar System and enter interstellar space by the year 2069 – the 100^th anniversary of the first human Moon landing. This directive can be found on page 60 of the 114TH CONGRESS REPORT of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 2d Session: COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2017 .

Unlike the race to land on the Moon, a major competition in the international race for space, the first venture out of the Solar System and into interstellar space must be both interdisciplinary and international. We are starting to think NOW (2017) how we can involve multiple stake holders in the next major milestone for humanity: to send probes to our nearest stellar neighbors, the Alpha Centauri System.

We envision ultimately building an Interdisciplinary Center for Interstellar Exploration (iC) at UCSB to house the main offices for each of nine divisions, that will be responsible for leading the entire effort, from the nuts-and-bolts technology to considerations of the ethics of going to interstellar space.