 Message From Sir Arthur C. Clarke
In "2001: A Space Odyssey", Stanley Kubrick and I depicted a commercial spaceplane
delivering passengers to a huge, wheel-shaped space station. Commercially operated
hotels, restaurants and videophone booths were plentiful onboard. Stanley and I firmly
believed that commercial stations would offer the citizens of Earth far greater access to
space than government-run programs.
I still believe that today, which is why I'm supporting the Space Island Group (SIG), based
in southern California. They have a detailed plan to privately finance the construction of
wheel-shaped space resorts and commercial spaceplanes closely resembling what
Stanley and I envisioned (3) decades ago. Their second generation space shuttles,
similar to NASA's prototypes, will safely carry (100) passengers to orbit on each flight.
They'll leave their new shuttle's orange, hollow external fuel tanks (ETs) in orbit when
empty , they join a dozen of them together to form the wheel-shaped station. (NASA's
shuttles destroy their empty ETs after carrying them to orbit.)
My interest in SIG's project is based on its engineering practicality and, frankly, on
seeing the dream Stanley and I planted in hundreds of millions of hearts over the years
finally become a reality in my lifetime.
SIG's concept was first detailed in 1973 by young engineers who, I'm told, were inspired
(5) years earlier by our film. If successful, this could be the greatest examples in history
of life imitating art. They've graciously invited me to celebrate my 90th birthday at the GRAND
OPENING OF THEIR FIRST STATION in 2007.
They believe that if aggressively marketed, the dramatic human aspects of these new shuttles
and station will generate media coverage and public excitement than any space project since
the first Apollo moon landing. They feel that following the lives of the designers, technicians and
station assemblers here on Earth (beginning in 2001) and in orbit (beginning in 2004) could
become the ultimate reality show, outshining Survivor, Regis Millionaires and even the Olympics.
SIG is developing TV and motion picture storylines set (20) years in the future, When they'll
have two dozen stations orbiting the Earth, Moon and Mars. Weekly news reports on SIG's
progress (perhaps exclusively on CNN) would bring a reality component to these TV Productions
which the genre has completely lacked until now. They've also designing zero-gravity and partial-
gravity film production capabilities onboard their first station, which could give their EXCLUSIVE
ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY partner an unbeatable edge.
They expect to attract over (60) million students and teachers to their educational section of their
impressive web site in 2001, which may be of interest to AOL.
They're also exploring an interactive "Space Theme Park" in southern California containing full-scale
mockups of their stations and shuttles, highlighting space-related activities the stations would make
possible. They believe the mockups could double as movie sets until the orbiting production
facilities were ready, and could gather public imput on the stations' interiors. SIG, NASA, the state
of California and a MAJOR ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY would partner in the project.
SIG believes that connecting their Real World to the re-release of "2001" could boost interest in
that film far beyond anything it might generate a stand-alone project. (Most news stories on them
have already made the comparison.)
I urge you to meet with Mr. Meyers to discuss these options at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
Arthur C. Clarke
COMPLETED
FUTURE TECHNOLOGY (White House: memo requested for President)
THE PROMISE OF SPACE (UN., N.Y. & Vienna: videotape, 4 Oct)
THE LIGHT OF OTHER DAYS (with S Baxter: Tor, HarperCollins)
MYSTERIES (Prometheus Press, Sept)
COLLECTED SHORT STORIES (Orion, Oct: Tor)
CLARKE-C.S.LEWIS CORRESPONDENCE (Anamnesis Press: Dec)
SPACE TRILOGY (Islands, Earthlight, Sands: Gollancz)
THE LOST WORLDS OF 2001 (Millennium edition: Del Rey)
THE FOUNTAINS OF PARADISE (Warner, Fall 2001)
CITY & STARS/SANDS OF MARS "
MEDUSA/OTHER SIDE OF THE SKY "
GHOST FROM THE GRAND BANKS/DEEP RANGE "
LION OF COMARRE/AGAINST THE FALL OF NIGHT "
CHILDHOOD'S END (new intro: Aug 2001)
2001 CALENDAR (Workman)
NASA: "The Music of the Spheres": Space Symposium volume
DEBRETT'S PEOPLE OF TODAY (Foreword)
BEYOND GRAVITY (National Geographic Magazine: Jan 2001)
2001: MILLENNIAL ODYSSEY (Playboy: Jan 2001)
INFINITY (Fractals: IMAX, Reuben Fleet Science Center)
THE NEW COSMOS (Buhl Planetarium narration: audio)
2001 INTRODUCTION (audio: Brilliance Corp)
IN-FLIGHT NARRATION (Sri Lankan Airlines)
CARNEGIE-MELLON A.I. SYMPOSIUM, OCT 19
WRITERS & COMPANY (C.B.C.)
ROBOTS AND SOCIETY (NHK TV, Tokyo)
THE CITY AND THE STARS (D.Bedford Oratorio: Royal Festival Hall)
IN ACTION!
DESTINATION MARS (RDF TV: filming 3 Oct)
DISCOVERY (CANADA) 2001: filming, 4-10 Oct)
NOVA (filming Oct 23-4)
HAL'S LEGACY (Alfred P Sloan Foundation: filming Nov 22-5)
DEDICATION OF ACC NEAR EARTH OBJECT OBSERVATORY (W.Va., 16 Dec)
2001: THE GREAT BOOKS (Cronkite-Ward)
BBC WORLD SERVICE (Agenda: Jan 2001)
2001 EXHIBITION (S. Jose Tech Museum: Jan 2001)
EXPLORER'S CLUB (Communications Award: March 2001)
EUROPAY BANKING CONFERENCE (Munich, June 2001: film)
ENCOUNTER PROJECT (ACC DNA launched out of Solar System: 2002+)
RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA (Revelations Entertainment: Morgan Freeman)
2000 Sept 21
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