I subscribe to Jonathan's Space Report and in his latest email he mentions an airborne laser test.
I did an Internet search for - Missile Defense Agency shoots down two missiles with Airborne Laser - and found a number of references.
Just part of the billions spent on Star Wars.
The Christian Science Monitor says that the Pentagon isn’t happy with the price tag, and that Defense Secretary Robert Gates canceled the original order for a second airborne laser system, but held onto the original aircraft for further experiments.
Will be interesting to see where the next billions of dollars are spent. Probably not on going to the Moon now that it is a lessor priority.
- LRK -
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http://www.planet4589.org/space/jsr/jsr.html
Jonathan's Space Report - Latest Issue
The Space Report ("JSR") is issued about twice a month. It describes all space launches, including both piloted missions and automated satellites.
Jonathan's Space Report
No. 623 2010 Feb 13 Somerville, MA
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Editorial
----------
In an attempt to enter the 2010s, JSR updates are now available on Facebook - look for "Jonathan's Space Report" - and Twitter - follow
"planet4589".
snip
Missile tests
-------------
The DRDO (India's defense missile agency) launched the fourth Agni III missile from the IC4 pad on Inner Wheeler Island in Orissa on Feb 7. It flew south or southwest over the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, splashing down in the southern hemisphere after a 3500 km range flight to orbital parameters of around -4070 x 350 km x (80 to 131) deg - the exact direction of the flight is not known.
On Feb 12 the Missile Defense Agency tested the Airborne Laser against a Scud launched from a floating platform in the Pacific and a Black Brant IX launched from San Nicolas I. on the S Californian coast. Apogees of the targets were probably in the 100-200 km range.
snip
---------------------------------------------------------
Here is a snip from the Christian Science Monitor article.
- LRK -
---------------------------------------------------------
http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2010/0212/Airborne-laser-shoots-down-missile-in-mid-flight
Airborne laser shoots down missile in mid-flight
The US military's airborne laser scores its first direct hit.
By Chris Gaylord / February 12, 2010
Last night, the military officially entered the age of airborne laser weapons. A large laser mounted to the front of a modified 747 jet successfully detected and shot down a ballistic missile while both were in mid-flight.
The airborne laser program – part Star Wars (the sci-fi flick) and part Star Wars (the Strategic Defense Initiative) – has taken years of work and billions of dollars it get here. But the Pentagon can now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational battle station.
"While ballistic missiles like the one [the Airborne Laser Testbed]
destroyed move at speeds of about 4,000 miles per hour, they are no match for a super-heated, high-energy laser beam racing towards it at 670 million mph," says defense contractor Northrop Grumman in a release after announcing the successful test Friday.
snip
In a massive collaboration, Northrop Grumman constructed the megawatt-class high-energy laser, Lockheed Martin designed the firing system, and Boeing tied everything together with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.
snip
---------------------------------------------------------
I wonder what civilian firms are going to carry us to space?
- LRK -
---------------------------------------------------------
http://www.mda.mil/news/10news0002.html
10-NEWS-0002
February 11, 2010
Airborne Laser Testbed Successful in Lethal Intercept Experiment
The Missile Defense Agency demonstrated the potential use of directed energy to defend against ballistic missiles when the Airborne Laser Testbed (ALTB) successfully destroyed a boosting ballistic missile.
The experiment, conducted at Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center-Weapons Division Sea Range off the central California coast, serves as a proof-of-concept demonstration for directed energy technology. The ALTB is a pathfinder for the nation’s directed energy program and its potential application for missile defense technology.
At 8:44 p.m. (PST), February 11, 2010, a short-range threat-representative ballistic missile was launched from an at-sea mobile launch platform. Within seconds, the ALTB used onboard sensors to detect the boosting missile and used a low-energy laser to track the target. The ALTB then fired a second low-energy laser to measure and compensate for atmospheric disturbance. Finally, the ALTB fired its megawatt-class High Energy Laser, heating the boosting ballistic missile to critical structural failure. The entire engagement occurred within two minutes of the target missile launch, while its rocket motors were still thrusting.
This was the first directed energy lethal intercept demonstration against a liquid-fuel boosting ballistic missile target from an airborne platform. The revolutionary use of directed energy is very attractive for missile defense, with the potential to attack multiple targets at the speed of light, at a range of hundreds of kilometers, and at a low cost per intercept attempt compared to current technologies.
Less than one hour later, a second solid fuel short-range missile was launched from a ground location on San Nicolas Island, Calif. and the ALTB successfully engaged the boosting target with its High Energy Laser, met all its test criteria, and terminated lasing prior to destroying the second target. The ALTB destroyed a solid fuel missile, identical to the second target, in flight on February 3, 2010.
---------------------------------------------------------
Does this mean we can now add to the space debris at the speed of light?
- LRK -
---------------------------------------------------------
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=9815043
Flying Laser Zaps Missile in First for U.S.
Military Experiment Uses Laser on 747 off California to Destroy Target
By Jim Wolf
February 12, 2010
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A high-powered laser aboard a modified Boeing Co 747 jumbo jet shot down an in-flight ballistic missile for the first time, highlighting a new class of ray guns best known from science fiction.
[ Three pages of info that copyright wise not to be redistributed so if interested go to the link and read for yourelf. - LRK -]
---------------------------------------------------------
Well all of that is not about going to the Moon, but then I guess I will have to wait and report about others doing that.
- LRK -
Thanks for looking up with me.
Larry Kellogg
Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lrkellogg
============================================
WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK
============================================
Jonathan's Space Report - Latest Issue
The Space Report ("JSR") is issued about twice a month. It describes all space launches, including both piloted missions and automated satellites.
Jonathan's Space Report
No. 623 2010 Feb 13 Somerville, MA
------------------------------
Editorial
----------
In an attempt to enter the 2010s, JSR updates are now available on Facebook - look for "Jonathan's Space Report" - and Twitter - follow
"planet4589".
snip
Missile tests
-------------
The DRDO (India's defense missile agency) launched the fourth Agni III missile from the IC4 pad on Inner Wheeler Island in Orissa on Feb 7. It flew south or southwest over the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, splashing down in the southern hemisphere after a 3500 km range flight to orbital parameters of around -4070 x 350 km x (80 to 131) deg - the exact direction of the flight is not known.
On Feb 12 the Missile Defense Agency tested the Airborne Laser against a Scud launched from a floating platform in the Pacific and a Black Brant IX launched from San Nicolas I. on the S Californian coast. Apogees of the targets were probably in the 100-200 km range.
snip
------------------------------
Here is a snip from the Christian Science Monitor article.
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://www.csmonitor.com/
Airborne laser shoots down missile in mid-flight
The US military's airborne laser scores its first direct hit.
By Chris Gaylord / February 12, 2010
Last night, the military officially entered the age of airborne laser weapons. A large laser mounted to the front of a modified 747 jet successfully detected and shot down a ballistic missile while both were in mid-flight.
The airborne laser program – part Star Wars (the sci-fi flick) and part Star Wars (the Strategic Defense Initiative) – has taken years of work and billions of dollars it get here. But the Pentagon can now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational battle station.
"While ballistic missiles like the one [the Airborne Laser Testbed]
destroyed move at speeds of about 4,000 miles per hour, they are no match for a super-heated, high-energy laser beam racing towards it at 670 million mph," says defense contractor Northrop Grumman in a release after announcing the successful test Friday.
snip
In a massive collaboration, Northrop Grumman constructed the megawatt-class high-energy laser, Lockheed Martin designed the firing system, and Boeing tied everything together with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.
snip
------------------------------
I wonder what civilian firms are going to carry us to space?
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://www.mda.mil/news/
10-NEWS-0002
February 11, 2010
Airborne Laser Testbed Successful in Lethal Intercept Experiment
The Missile Defense Agency demonstrated the potential use of directed energy to defend against ballistic missiles when the Airborne Laser Testbed (ALTB) successfully destroyed a boosting ballistic missile.
The experiment, conducted at Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center-Weapons Division Sea Range off the central California coast, serves as a proof-of-concept demonstration for directed energy technology. The ALTB is a pathfinder for the nation’s directed energy program and its potential application for missile defense technology.
At 8:44 p.m. (PST), February 11, 2010, a short-range threat-representative ballistic missile was launched from an at-sea mobile launch platform. Within seconds, the ALTB used onboard sensors to detect the boosting missile and used a low-energy laser to track the target. The ALTB then fired a second low-energy laser to measure and compensate for atmospheric disturbance. Finally, the ALTB fired its megawatt-class High Energy Laser, heating the boosting ballistic missile to critical structural failure. The entire engagement occurred within two minutes of the target missile launch, while its rocket motors were still thrusting.
This was the first directed energy lethal intercept demonstration against a liquid-fuel boosting ballistic missile target from an airborne platform. The revolutionary use of directed energy is very attractive for missile defense, with the potential to attack multiple targets at the speed of light, at a range of hundreds of kilometers, and at a low cost per intercept attempt compared to current technologies.
Less than one hour later, a second solid fuel short-range missile was launched from a ground location on San Nicolas Island, Calif. and the ALTB successfully engaged the boosting target with its High Energy Laser, met all its test criteria, and terminated lasing prior to destroying the second target. The ALTB destroyed a solid fuel missile, identical to the second target, in flight on February 3, 2010.
------------------------------
Does this mean we can now add to the space debris at the speed of light?
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://abcnews.go.com/
Flying Laser Zaps Missile in First for U.S.
Military Experiment Uses Laser on 747 off California to Destroy Target
By Jim Wolf
February 12, 2010
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A high-powered laser aboard a modified Boeing Co 747 jumbo jet shot down an in-flight ballistic missile for the first time, highlighting a new class of ray guns best known from science fiction.
[ Three pages of info that copyright wise not to be redistributed so if interested go to the link and read for yourelf. - LRK -]
------------------------------
Well all of that is not about going to the Moon, but then I guess I will have to wait and report about others doing that.
- LRK -
Thanks for looking up with me.
Larry Kellogg
Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lrkellogg
==============================
WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK
==============================
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