While us science fiction fans flick the pages of the latest Bruce Sterling blockbuster or check out the Dune miniseries on DVD, there is another breed of fan that is simply not content to sit around dreaming of the wonders of space exploration.

They are the fans who actually make it happen. You'll find a fair few packing the halls of the ESA and NASA, but there is another band - of similar ilk and bent - which you'll find it a lot easier to join, support, and contribute to.

These are the fans of The Planetary Society, a non-profit group who aren't content to wait for the clueless grey politicians of the G8 countries to go all 'JFK' on us and kick-start the space race back to the level which it deserves to be funded.

The Planetary Society aren't just amateur star spotters and rocketeers, though, as these guys are now tooling around with converted Volna Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles.

The society recently actually launched a $4 million test flight of Cosmos 1, a working solar sail system blasted out a Russian sub. Getting its impetus from the pressure of sun light, this A&E TV Network-sponsored project is a fuel-less solution for space probes.

Their craft wasn't intended to reach deep space, but was a data-collecting proof of concept type mission skimming nicely along a sub-orbital vector

It's amazing to think that passionate amateurs and space advocacy groups can do this sort of thing.

If you want to read about The Planetary Society's aims and current (and past) missions and projects, this is one of the best sites on the web to engage with.

Find this site over at ... http://www.planetary.org/