There’s a wonderful story in today’s New York Times about a symposium held as part of the DARPA 100-Year Starship Study. The meeting took place for a few days at the end of September and beginning of October, and consisted of a group of unapologetic spaceflight nuts, many with with important skills for any such project (such as science and engineering). Robert A. Heinlein passed away 23 years ago, but he must have been present in spirit.
Given the grim necessities that so much of the U.S. defense budget must pay for, it is wonderful to see a bit of the money going to something as far-fetched and farseeing as this. :-)