Sailing the seven galaxies

[grandpa]

Remember when we sailed into the uncharted seas.. because we wanted to know.
I think this is cool. Now we are sailing across space [timesonline.co.uk] using an ultra-thin sail for propulsion using photons, or light particles, bouncing off the reflective sails.

Capable of speeds up to 10,000mph it could reach Pluto within two years and Alpha Centauri, the closest star to Earth, within 1,000. I wonder if the 10th generation of me would be as happy to be on that voyage as I might be.

[TheDoctor]

And they're paying a tribute to Cordwainer Smith [fourth-millennium.net], the science fiction writer who go ther first, on the voyage.

[Milamber]

Looks like it didn't go as far as they were hoping...
[news.yahoo.com...]

[Macguru]

Cosmos 1 will be launched on a converted intercontinental ballistic missile

4 million $ aboard a patched cold war relic. This is sad, but it was likely to happen.

[monkeythumpa]

Remember when we sailed into the uncharted seas.. because we wanted to know.

And do you remember what happened after we got off the boat? Wars, pestulance, displacement of millions of people. And this was to our own species. Then there was extinction, extermination, and exploitation of hundreds of thousands of others. Ahhh, to be an explorer.

Please let's confine homo sapien's ineptitude to Earth.

[grandpa]

Wars, pestulance, displacement of millions of people

The never ending compulsions of human-kind. But they have little to do with exploration per se.

I was without power for a day and missed the launch and resultant failure. Alas, I'm sure they'll try again. I guess I should re-new my Planetary Society membership to help fund the next attempt.