A dramatic plan to transport humans beyond the solar system within 100 years today received the backing of former President Bill Clinton.

The 100-year Starship project, which was set up with US military seed funding, plans to develop huge 'starships' to send humans far into space.

It has already received large amounts of funding, and former President Bill Clinton has even stepped in to serve as the symposium's Honorary Chair.

In a statement, Clinton said: 'This important effort helps advance the knowledge and technologies required to explore space, all while generating the necessary tools that enhance our quality of life on earth.'

The astronaut who became the first black woman in space in 1992 has been chosen to skipper the '100 Year Starship' project.

'The 100 Year Starship will make the capability of human travel beyond our solar system to another star a reality over the next 100 years,' she said.

'We will embark on a journey across time and space. If my language is dramatic, it is because this project is monumental.

And our team is both invigorated and sobered by the confidence DARPA has in us to make interstellar flight a reality.'

(Read by Rosie Tuck. Rosie Tuck is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)