Hawking says humans must look to outer space if race is to survive

December 1, 2006 | Source: AP

Humans will have to colonize planets in far-flung solar systems if the race is to survive, renowned physicist Stephen Hawking said.

Because there are no other planets like Earth in our own solar system, Hawking said humans will have to travel to another star to find a hospitable planet to colonize. At the speed of chemical-propelled rockets like the Apollo, the trip to the next nearest star would take 50,000 years, he said.

However, Hawking said that using matter/antimatter annihilation, described in the TV series “Star Trek,” would allow for travel at almost the speed of light.