DARPA, the Pentagon’s premiere research agency, has chosen Mae Jemison, a former astronaut, to lead the 100-Year Starship project,designed to take humanity to the stars.

Her organization, the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence, has been awarded $500,000. It is partnered on the project with Icarus Interstellar, a non-profit organization dedicated to interstellar travel, and the Foundation for Enterprise Development.

See also: 100 Year Starship Study report