Planning a Century Long Interstellar Voyage

NASA and DARPA once funded a project specifically designed to map out how humanity could reach another star within a single century. It focused less on building a rocket and more on the massive social and ethical challenges of such a journey.

This ambitious initiative aimed to create a sustainable model for long-term private investment in deep space travel. It tackled the reality that getting to another star requires breakthroughs in technology, philosophy, and organization that span generations. By hosting annual symposia, the project gathered experts to brainstorm how a civilization stays motivated for a mission lasting decades. It serves as a rare example of a government agency planning for a future far beyond a typical election or budget cycle.