Robert Goddard believed that space travel with the rockets he invented was not only a real possibility but also an eventual necessity. At the age of thirty-six, he sketched out a plan for what he called "The Ultimate Migration." After completing it, Goddard folded the document and wrote on it: "The notes should be read thoroughly only by an optimist." He then sealed it in an envelope and deliberately mis-titled it "Special Formulae for Silvering Mirrors" so that no one would look at it. He bequeathed the document to the Smithsonian.
