The Nation - News from Jan. 31, 1988

A rocket carrying 15 payloads, including four small rockets that will simulate Soviet warhead boosters, will be launched this week in a major test for the “Star Wars” defense system at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, it was reported. The Delta rocket tests are among a number being conducted to enable Strategic Defense Initiative officials to determine if a space-based missile defense system is feasible. A decision is not expected until the mid-1990s. An Air Force statement said the Delta 181 launch would take place in the first quarter of 1988, but sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said it would occur this week.