Title: Space Travel

(SFX: blimp noises fading into trolley noises fading up into space ship noises)

     IT LOOKS KIND OF LIKE A BLIMP.  IT WORKS KIND OF LIKE A TROLLEY.  BUT TRAVELLING AT
SPEEDS OF 15 MILES A SECOND, IT RIDES LIKE A SPACESHIP OF THE FUTURE.    PHYSICIST LEIK
MYRABO AT RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE IS TESTING A SPACE TRAVEL SYSTEM THAT
BORROWS CONCEPTS FROM THE MUCH OLDER TROLLEYS AND BLIMPS. TROLLEYS, FOR
EXAMPLE, TRAVEL CONNECTED TO AN ELECTRICITY CABLE-- GETTING POWER FROM AN OUTSIDE
SOURCE, INSTEAD OF AN ONBOARD ENGINE.   A SPACE SHIP WITHOUT AN ONBOARD ENGINE
WOULD BE FASTER, LIGHTER, SAFER, AND BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.  MYRABO ENVISIONS
AERODYNAMIC BLIMPS THAT GET THEIR OUTSIDE POWER FROM THE SUN.  

     Myrabo: "What I believe we need for the future is let's call it a space power grid. . . this
grid would basically be powered by the sun. . . and then beam that power with microwave or
laser power dircectly to vehicles in flight. the idea is to think of energy beam highways
throughout the skies.  highways of light." 

     CURRENT ROCKET TECHNOLOGY, LIKE THE SPACE SHUTTLE USES, IS LIMITED TO CERTAIN
SPEEDS BY HOW MUCH FUEL YOU CAN PACK ON BOARD.  MORE FUEL MEANS MORE ENERGY,
BUT IT ALSO MEANS WEIGHING DOWN THE SHIP, MAKING IT MORE SLUGGISH AND HARDER TO
CONTROL.  WITH MYRABO'S SPACE POWER GRID, THE SPACE CRAFT WOULDN'T NEED TO CARRY
ANY FUEL, WHICH WOULD MAKE IT EXTRA LIGHT, EXTRA FAST, AND A WHOLE LOT CHEAPER.  

     Myrabo: "There's no reason why you couldn'ts accelerate, flying on a microwave laser
beam and arrive at the moon basically in as short as five and a half hours."

     BETTER YET, FOR EARTHBOUND TRAVELLERS IT COULD GET YOU TO AUSTRALIA IN
UNDER AN HOUR.

     "These little capsules coudl take you to around the planet to the furthest point. . . in about 45
minutes and for a competitive price for todays airline tickets,"


(sfx: 2001 THEME? SPACE ODDITY?)