Pasadena, CA (August 17, 1998) – 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.