V.7 Does the DOE believe that SPS development will reinvigorate the U.S. internally and give it a renewed position of leadership abroad? The DOE's current interest is in determining the practicality of the SPS concept as an energy source. It is premature, and probably wrong, to assume that the development of the SPS alone would provide the lasting and profound impact on society that the question suggests. This is especially so when one considers the array of technical, environmental and societal problems which must be solved prior to assuming such a vast undertaking. However, the SPS, if it is to be built at all, may well be just one part of a reinvigorated program of space application and research that would enhance U.S. prestige on a worldwide basis. Developments associated with transportation to space, space manufacturing and assembly and construction of large space structures are areas where technological leadership would be developed. The broad spectrum of technological challenges to implementing the SPS program might well keep the U.S. on the cutting edge of the technological advance for many years. SPS development would also provide an opportunity for significant international cooperation in exploring and exploiting the benefits of outer space and its resources. More importantly, perhaps, SPS development would provide badly needed energy to many countries of the globe with consequences that must on balance be beneficial, but largely unpredictable in terms of impact on the U.S.
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