An anonymous member of the Planetary Society donated a record $4.2 million to the organization founded by Carl Sagan, it was announced Monday.
"This remarkable gift from a Planetary Society member will enable us to continue to advance space science and exploration for the betterment of humankind," said Bill Nye "The Science Guy," who is the chief executive of the Planetary Society. "We want everyone everywhere to understand our cosmos and, importantly, our place within it."
The gift, the Planetary Society's largest ever, will be used to expand its technology, research, advocacy and education programs, including a mission to develop spacecraft with solar sail technology; efforts to track near-Earth objects; supporting a Harvard professors search for intelligent life outside our solar system; and detecting planets outside our solar system.
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