"NASA Ames Director Simon “Pete” Worden revealed Saturday that NASA Ames has “just started a project with DARPA called the Hundred Year Starship,” with $1 million funding from DARPA and $100K from NASA."

from http://blacklistednews.com/NASA-Ames%E2%80%99-Worden-reveals-DARPA-funded-%E2%80%98Hundred-Year-Starship%E2%80%99-program/11110/0/7/7/Y/M.html

This is great news if it's true. Although $1M won;t go far...

1.1mil to start designing an alternative lift vehicle propulsion method. Not enough to finish the project, but definitely a good start.

Most of us scientists start projects on far less $$$. He musta had one hell of a sales pitch!

Bryan

This news is a very welcome surprise. It needs to be done sooner or later, and it needs to be taken seriously. In view of the dramatic progress in science, feasible interstellar travel may be just over the horizon. All power to the people with the foresight and courage to get this project off the ground (!)

the best starting point would be a viable SSTO.