SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY : McDonnell Douglas Wins $50-Million Contract for Star Wars Experiments
Compiled by David Olmos, Times staff writer
McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Co. in Huntington Beach has won a $50-million contract to launch experiments for the Star Wars anti-missile defense systems aboard a Delta II rocket.
The contract is the ninth commercial award for McDonnell Douglas’ Delta II rocket.
The company said the contract involves launching two satellites that will perform Star Wars experiments. One experiment involves a Navy satellite that will study the distorting effects of the Earth’s atmosphere on laser beams.
In a second experiment, a satellite will be put into orbit for about 6 months to determine if a mirror positioned in space can be used to capture and redirect a ground-based laser beam.
The launch is scheduled for the fourth quarter.
