Hawking: China could be part of Starshot program

Stephen Hawking wants humans to travel to the stars, like in the science fiction television series Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry, with his Breakthrough Starshot program and is seeking China's help to make it a reality.

The ambitious program involves building tiny, light-propelled robotic spacecraft that could visit nearby stars in short journeys.

"Breakthrough Starshot is an opportunity for man to make early forays into outer space, with a view to probing and weighing the possibilities of colonisation," said Hawking in a video address at Tencent's We Summit, an annual gathering where luminaries share ideas on science and technology.