DARPA Request for Information: 100 Year Starship Study

"DARPA is seeking ideas for an organization, business model and approach appropriate for a self-sustaining investment vehicle in support of the 100 Year Starship^TM Study. The 100 Year Starship^TM Study is a project seeded by DARPA to develop a viable and sustainable model for persistent, long-term, private-sector investment into the myriad of disciplines needed to make long-distance space travel practicable and feasible. The genesis of this study is to foster a rebirth of a sense of wonder among students, academia, industry, researchers and the general population to consider "why not" and to encourage them to tackle whole new classes of research and development related to all the issues surrounding long duration, long distance spaceflight. DARPA contends that the useful, unanticipated consequences of such research will have benefit to the Department of Defense and to NASA, and well as the private and commercial sector."

Keith's note: Hmmm .... DARPA has its sights set on traveling to the stars - at least as a motivational exercise - yet NASA continues to trip over itself just to get out of LEO - something it knew how to do 40 years ago (technically and politically) but has since forgotten...