Posted on 11/29/2004 9:01:32 AM PST by BenLurkin
EDWARDS AFB - The Airborne Laser program reached a major developmental milestone earlier this month with the first-ever test firing of the system's high-energy laser, the centerpiece of the weapons system. The Nov. 10 ground test at the program's Edwards Air Force Base test site - dubbed "First Light" - was the first time all six modules that make up the powerful laser were connected and successfully fired as a single unit.
"This is a wonderful moment for the Missile Defense Agency and the proponents of a ballistic missile defense system around the world," said Col. Ellen Pawlikowski, ABL program director.
The Airborne Laser is a weapons system that uses a high-energy laser to destroy a ballistic missile while it is still in the boost phase shortly after launch.
The laser that actually does the damage to a missile is called a chemical oxygen iodine laser, or COIL. It is created by mixing chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide, salts and lye in the right proportions and conditions to create a high-energy beam of light.
The hardware used to create the COIL is housed in six modules, each about the size of a Chevrolet Suburban.
"This is a very significant milestone for us," Pawlikowski said. "First production of photons for any laser system is a critical milestone in the fact that it verifies that the physics of the design is correct."
During the ground test, the laser was fired into a wall of metal called a calorimeter, or beam dump. The rise in temperature on that metal showed that laser power was generated.
As the first test of the complete system, First Light was very brief, only a fraction of a second. This was done in order to minimize the potential of unintended consequences. Subsequent ground tests will increase the duration and power level.
"We have every reason to expect, especially from the way we saw this test performed, that we will be able to get the design power from the laser at this point," Pawlikowski said.
The Airborne Laser is really a system of four lasers. Three electronic lasers are used for targeting purposes, and the fourth is the destructive COIL.
The laser - and its various targeting systems - will be mounted aboard a modified Boeing 747 freighter dubbed the YAL-1A.
That aircraft arrived at Edwards AFB in December 2002. It then underwent modifications, including installation of the movable turret on the aircraft's nose used to direct the laser beam at its intended target.
The aircraft is expected to return to flight test early next year, with the first few flights to check out the aircraft's performance with the modifications.
The aircraft will also be flying with the beam control and fire control systems - used to track the targetted missile and point the laser - on board for the first time. These will be tested first to see how they are affected by the flight environment.
Later flight tests of the targeting lasers will use a surrogate for the high-powered laser. These tests will use Scaled Composites' Proteus aircraft with a target board to measure the performance of those lasers.
These flight tests, with a surrogate for the COIL, will allow a full-system test to make sure the beam control system works correctly before bringing the high-powered laser on board, Pawlikowski said.
Ground testing of the COIL laser system will continue, probably through next fall, before the entire assembly is mounted on board the aircraft.
The program's estimated cost from now to the first demonstration of shooting down a ballistic missile is $1.39 billion.
The Airborne Laser is one of the major test programs for the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards, with more than 800 military and civilian personnel assigned to it, said John Haire, Edwards spokesman.
Thank Ronald Reagan, again.
It would be great if they could get the plane operational just before Iran launches it's first ballistic missile.
What a great show it would be for the rest of the Arab world
if we blow the thing out of the sky right above Tehran.
Was the test target a really big bag of popcorn?
Yes, and thank a democratic congress and liberal media for the ten year delay.
The key word being 'was'...
bump
and don't forget the commie group known as "concerned scientists"
All I keep thinking is:
"The ability to destroy an entire planet is insignificant, next to the power of the Force."
:-)
I'm thinking of the movie "Real Genius."
*SWOOOOOOSH* Right over my head...
It was the ending of the movie.
they should turn it loose on tehran itself if they refuse to mend their eeeeeeviiiiil ways
ping
The "Crossbow Project."
Actually, I thought the mini-shuttle they used in the introductory video was pretty cool.
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