According to the Daily Mail of August 9, Professor Stephen Hawking, the renowned astrophysicist, warned that the human race would become extinct if it were not to look to the outer space within the next 200 years.

　　“But I am an optimist. If we cannot avoid disaster for the next two centuries our species should be safe as we spread into space,” said him.

　　But he warned that mankind was entering an increasingly dangerous period. “Our population and use of the finite resources of planet Earth are growing exponentially along with our technical ability to change the environment for good and ill,” said him. So the only oppoortunity for survival of the human race is to spread civilization to the outer space.

　　Hawking said, “ We have made remarkable progress in the last 100 years but if we want to continue beyond the next 100 years our future is in space。”This is why he approves of the development of manned space flight.

　　据英国《每日邮报》8月9日报道，著名天体物理学家斯蒂芬•霍金再次发出警告，他说，如果人类不设法移民外星球，在200年内，人类将面临灭绝。

　　霍金表示：“如果人类能在接下来的两个世纪内避开毁灭性的灾难，我们这个物种就能分散到太空中，得到安全保障。”

　　但他同时也警告称，人类正在进入“越来越危险的时期”，人口和资源的矛盾将愈发突出，日益发展的科技对环境来说也是一把双刃剑。人类想要存活的唯一机会就是将文明散播到太空中去。

　　霍金说，“人类社会在过去100年中获得了显著的进步，但要想继续发展下去，只能走向太空。”这就是为什么他赞同发展载人航天的原因。