Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking says the human race must colonise space in the next 200 years or face extinction.

In an interview with website Big Think the astrophysicist said he fears mankind is in great danger and it needs to colonise space in order to survive.

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Professor Hawking argues threats to the human race, such as the 1963 Cuban missile crisis, will only increase in the future and plans should be established in order to deal with them.

"We shall need great care and judgment to negotiate them all successfully," he was quoted as saying.

"But I'm an optimist. If we can avoid disaster for the next two centuries, our species should be safe, as we spread into space."

He also warns increases in population and limited resources are making life on Earth more dangerous and the only way to capitalise on the progress of the last century was to move into space and towards the rest of the galaxy.

"That is why I'm in favour of manned, or should I say 'personed' [sic], space flight," he said.

Professor Hawking has previously warned that space exploration would not be without risk for humans.