From: Spike Jones (spike66@ibm.net)
Date: Tue Jan 19 1999 - 23:47:57 MST
> ... by '87 all of the major systems proposed at that point had been built as
> prototypes and tested either on the ground or in space. All that was lacking
> was a sufficiently powerful computer system to manage the whole shebang.
> Here's what had been tested...
> ...
> High Exoatmospheric kill vehicles (ground launched)...
> ...that,"the dispute is no longer scientific".
ok mike, however: the high exo kv that i think you are referring to is the
eris system, and yes, that was tested. that system had a deployable
umbrella that increased its cross section. the theoretical models at the
time predicted less than a 50-50 chance of a hit on the target reentry
body. they fired anyway, direct hit, pop the corks, quickly pack
everything up and go away. {8^D to this day i suspect luck was a
big player in that event.
our current system under development, thaad, is 0 for 5. {8-[
the next test is coming up very soon. so, altho the dispute is
highly political, there is a lotta difficult science yet to be solved in
making a nonexplosive kill vehicle collide with a hypersonic target
out in the thin air... spike
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