Civilian Advances From ‘Star Wars’ Unlikely, Study Finds

The belief that “Star Wars” research will further civilian technology is largely illusory and continued massive spending on the space-based missile defense system could damage the nation’s economy, a private study has concluded.

The military goals of President Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative are so fixed that it is “unlikely to produce significant commercial spinoffs” even with a huge investment of U.S. resources, the Council on Economic Priorities said in its report.

“Proponents of the Reagan Administration’s SDI are positioning the program not only as a ‘technological fix’ for the arms race but an economic cure-all as well--a 21st- Century ‘industrial revolution’ that will put America securely ahead of its economic competitors,” the report said.

It said the council’s yearlong study found that “whatever commercial spinoffs result from SDI, they are unlikely to be substantial in relation to the cost of the program.”

The Defense Department, in a written response, dismissed the study as “fundamentally flawed” and said the Pentagon has never sought to justify “Star Wars” research with a promise of substantial commercial applications.

The council, based in New York, describes itself as a public interest research organization. It has conducted numerous studies into the “Star Wars” program over the last several years, and almost all of its conclusions have been critical.