Meaning of "bust"?

Question

Context (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/18/science/space/18starship.html?_r=1&ref=science" title="New York Times">New York Times</a>),>Alpha Centauri or **bust**. The government agency that helped invent the Internet now wants to do the same for travel to the stars. ...Does *bust* here mean> <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bust" title="Dictionary.com">Dictionary.com</a>: 8. failureIs the author saying that either the government agency is going to pull this off (sending humans to Alpha Centauri, to the stars) or this is just totally a failure?

Answer 1

Not exactly. It is a colloquial expression meant to indicate that there are no other options - no way to go 50% or 80% of the way and stop. I recognize this phrase from the history of American pioneers traveling West in the 1800s who might put a sign on their wagon saying, for example, "California or bust".