Hypersonic jets that zoom into orbit. Ships that sail the solar wind. Rockets fueled with antimatter. Cosmic wormholes connecting distant parts of the galaxy. Such far-out ideas once were relegated to Star Trek reruns and science fiction magazines. Now, they’re the focus of serious research by some of the world’s best rocket scientists. Visionaries at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., occasionally still hear muffled snickers when they talk about their more exotic projects. But research sponsored by the center’s Advanced Space Transportation Program eventually could make some of those dreams come true.