A group of scientists, Stephen Hawking included, are making plans to send a small spacecraft to the next closest star using an enormous laser.

$100 million has already been invested into the project by Yuri Milner, a Russian billionaire. This money will help to fund the research and development to see if the proposed technology will even work.

This short video explains the basics of the project, which is being called "Starshot", and some of the roadblocks and hurdles that it faces.