OT - a B5 fyi: JPL to assist B5 producers in "Crusade"

Sorry this is a bit off-topic. A friend of mine just forwarded this news
to me, and I thought a good many of you would find it of interest. Feel
free to pass this on to whomever you think might be interested.  -  Mk

MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109 TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov

Contact: John G. Watson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 17, 1998

PRODUCERS OF 'BABYLON 5' TAP JPL'S BRAIN POWER FOR NEW SERIES

Through a unique technology transfer program, space scientists and engineers
have begun sharing their brain power with producers and writers at Babylonian
Productions, producers
of  "Babylon 5" and the new science-fiction television series
"Crusade."

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will provide "Crusade" producers with new
visions of technology and will assist them in portraying science and astronomy
as accurately as possible, forecasting science and technology issues circa the
year 2250.

The producers, whose "Crusade" debuts on Turner Network Television (TNT) in
January, were able to tap JPL's expertise by participating in the lab's
Technology Affiliates Program, through which businesses form strategic
alliances with JPL either to license intellectual property or to gain access
to JPL's engineers and scientists to help solve technological problems. To
date, more than 120 companies, large and small, have utilized the program to
solve upwards of 200 specific technology challenges.

"It's exciting for us to be able to share knowledge from the space program in
order to help ensure the realism and accuracy of
popular science-fiction programming," said Joan Horvath, a
business alliance manager with the Technology Affiliates Program.

"We have a very challenging task before us on the production side, visualizing
and creating different planets and planetary bodies complete with
civilizations, flora and fauna," said "Crusade" producer John Copeland. "The
scientists and engineers at JPL will be advising us on how to depict the
future."

Copeland became aware of JPL's capabilities in large part through his
acceptance of an invitation by the Caltech Management Association (CMA) to
speak about "Babylon 5" to JPL employees
last spring.  JPL engineer Michael Eastwood, a CMA events co-
chair, explained, "As a thank-you, we gave the 'Babylon 5' team a
lab tour. John Copeland was excited and impressed with what he saw and called
me two days later asking how we might all work together more closely. The
Technology Affiliates Program was a perfect fit."

"Crusade" and "Babylon 5" are produced in association with J. Michael
Straczynski's Synthetic Worlds, Ltd. and Netter Digital Entertainment, Inc.
under Babylonian Productions. JPL is a division of the California Institute of
Technology. More information about JPL's Technology Affiliates Program is
available at the Commercial Technology Program web site at
http://techtrans.jpl.nasa.gov/tu.html .