Word: zapping
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Advocates conjure up visions of death rays flashing across thousands of miles of space to zap Soviet missiles as they rise. Critics counter with derisive pictures of the most supersophisticated Star Wars weaponry foiled by something as simple as grains of beach sand scattered in orbit. Back and forth go the millions of words of argument that have been resounding since Ronald Reagan unveiled his Star Wars plan in 1983. But the essential question raised by all the debate can be put into just three words: Can it work...
Weapons that could attack the warheads differ somewhat by stage of flight, but--and this is a faintly cheering thought to Star Wars researchers--most are $ adaptable to more than one phase. The systems that could zap missiles in boost generally could also hit warheads in post-boost, mid-course and perhaps even re-entry phases. A rundown of the potential missile and warhead killers that are getting the most attention from scientists...
...idea of being able to zap enemy missiles from the heavens is not appreciably closer to being translated into hardware than it was when Reagan first proposed the SDI nearly two years ago, despite important breakthroughs in microchip and other crucial technology. A report by the congressional Office of Technology Assessment declared the prospect of an effective missile & defense "so remote that it should not serve as the basis for public expectations or national policy." But the concept does have its well-placed supporters, including George Keyworth, the President's science adviser, and Robert Jastrow, founder of the Goddard Institute...
...zap his enemies with a vast array of weapons systems. Children can buy a He-Man doll astride a "heroic armored war horse" with two laser guns, or the skull-faced figure of Skeletor, the spirit of evil, driving a circular "assault vehicle" equipped with rotating blades to slash the enemy. Should more conventional arms be needed, a handy Weapons Pak is available containing two miniature plastic pistols, a sword, an ax and a whip...
...Administration's most ambitious military undertaking in space is the Strategic Defense Initiative, better known as Star Wars, announced by Reagan in March of last year. Reagan's hope is to create a space-based defensive umbrella that would zap enemy missiles with lasers or particle beams almost as soon as they were launched. His ultimate goal is to render nuclear weapons obsolete. Indeed, if the U.S. can build a foolproof nuclear shield, Reagan proposes sharing the technology with the Soviets. The Administration wants to spend $26 billion on Star Wars over the next five years...