How much was spent on the “Star Wars” misssle defense? How effective was it under tests? When was the program ended? How was it ended?
Don’t know what the final cost is, but the program’s never been ended. It’s still going on. Tests have been somewhat effective, but the significane of the results are hotly debated (do a hamster flogg for “missile tests” when the server’s not quite so bogged down and you should get some info).
I’d just like to note that the idea od space-based defenses long predates Reagan’s “Star Wars” Strategic Defence Initiative. Reagan by no means invented the idea, and research was going on in this area by US groups long before he proposed the idea with great fanfare. Heck, Gen. Daniel O. Graham had his whole “High Frontier” concept (not to be confused with G. O’Neill’s space colonization project of the same name) going just before Reagan’s March 23, 1983 speech. But Reagan seemed to be galvanized by Edward Teller’s “Excaliber” project.
I’m not opposed to work in these areas, but Reagan never duid have a coherent vision of what he wanted. Noe did the technology exist to implement the sort of defence that he wanted at anything resembling a reasonable cost. I still think that’s true of George W’s proposals.
Some technology that came from the project are in use today. I saw on the Discovery Channel a top ten list of US Military equipment (this was the first I’d ever heard of this thing). There is actually a plane with a very strong chemical laser on it that is capable of tracking and destroying several balistic missiles at the same time. It basically just circles the area where missiles are expected to be launched from (like N Korea) and then destroys them one by one after launch with the laser. I didn’t write the name of it down. The program aired two sundays ago in the mid afternoon.
The Airborne Laser system is still under development. Northrop delivered the first high power laser for testing in Feb. 2003. Airborne Laser Home Page
A detailed history of National Missile Defence (NMD) by the official historian of BMDO.