Via Slashdot: The European Space Agency is studying the potential for employing human hibernation in future long distance space journeys. They don’t know for sure if its possible yet, but there are some positive indicators. It seems obvious to me that some sort of hibernation will be necessary before we’ll be able to get very far out into space, but maybe I’ve just watched too many movies.
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Deep space…
Alternatives to hibernation include faster than light travel and “generation ships” – ie. ships large enough to carry a genetically diverse group of humans who would live out their lives on-ship, have children, etc.
Really, though, it’s going to be a long time before we have even fully explored our own solar system. There’s enough to keep us busy “locally” that I suspect deep space exploration, as great as it would be, is a few hundred years out (barring the development of FTL propulsion any time soon).