WASHINGTON (AP) --

The Defense Department wants to explore strange worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations, and boldly go where no defense agency as gone before. And they are offering money to help make this plan come true.

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA issued a call for ideas for a study to eventually build a starship, the interstellar travel vehicle mentioned in popular Sci-Fi series like Star Trek. DARPA said 150 competitors offered up private sector ideas, and the agency said some big names were among those interested.

DARPA said the winning idea will receive half a million dollars to "make it so." The winner will be chosen at a conference in Orlando this fall.

DARPA hopes to achieve interstellar travel in about a century.

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Interesting.