The Nation : Secret Test Goal Revealed
The secret “Star Wars” experiment conducted last week provided information that one day will make it possible for small interceptor rockets based in space to hunt down nuclear missiles, Lt. Gen. James A. Abrahamson, the program’s director, said. Lifting the veil of official secrecy surrounding the $150-million experiment, Abrahamson said the main objective of the “Star Wars,” or Strategic Defense Initiative, experiment had been to obtain data on what rocket plumes look like in space beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. Abrahamson said the data collected was sufficient to allow research on actual weaponry to proceed.
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