retroremakes
February 15th, 2010, 14:05
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2010/02/500x_video-altb.jpg (http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2010/02/video-altb.jpg)At last, the Missile Defense Agency (http://gizmodo.com/tag/missiledefenseagency/) Airborne Laser (http://gizmodo.com/5100377/boeing-airborne-laser-weapon-fires-for-the-first-time) has killed an actual ballistic missile in mid-air. The best part: They recorded it in video. This is not Star Wars pew-pew. It actually looks like the Enterprise's phasers.
It happened February 11, 8:44 Pacific Standard Time, at the Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center-Weapons Division Sea Range off the central California coast. The missile—representing a SCUD—launched from a platform at sea. Second later, the Airborne Laser Test Bed (http://gizmodo.com/tag/airbornelasertestbed/)'s sensors—flying on a Boeing 747-400F—detected the launch, tracking its trajectory with a low-energy tracking laser. A second laser was focused ont he missile to measure the atmospheric disturbance, gathering data to achieve the perfect firing solution.
Seconds later, the ALTC unleashed its megawatt-class High Energy Laser, causing a massive structural failure in the missile as it was rising in the sky. In other words: Boom. The engagement took only two minutes, demonstrating that this weapon will be extremely useful in destroying waves of missiles, one after the other. Like Missile Command, but from the air. [Boeing (http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1075) and Lockheed Martin (http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2010/02-12-ssc-abl-shootdown.html)]
http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?p=1 (http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?p=1) http://a.rfihub.com/eus.gif?eui=2226 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?d=H0mrP-F8Qgo</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=hQCfuIEBbOE:yO60Ed_Mykk:H0mrP-F8Qgo) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?d=yIl2AUoC8zA</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=hQCfuIEBbOE:yO60Ed_Mykk:yIl2AUoC8zA) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?i=hQCfuIEBbOE:yO60Ed_Mykk:D7DqB2pKExk</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=hQCfuIEBbOE:yO60Ed_Mykk:D7DqB2pKExk) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?i=hQCfuIEBbOE:yO60Ed_Mykk:V_sGLiPBpWU</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=hQCfuIEBbOE:yO60Ed_Mykk:V_sGLiPBpWU)
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More... (http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/hQCfuIEBbOE/video-of-airborne-laser-destroying-a-ballistic-missile)
It happened February 11, 8:44 Pacific Standard Time, at the Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center-Weapons Division Sea Range off the central California coast. The missile—representing a SCUD—launched from a platform at sea. Second later, the Airborne Laser Test Bed (http://gizmodo.com/tag/airbornelasertestbed/)'s sensors—flying on a Boeing 747-400F—detected the launch, tracking its trajectory with a low-energy tracking laser. A second laser was focused ont he missile to measure the atmospheric disturbance, gathering data to achieve the perfect firing solution.
Seconds later, the ALTC unleashed its megawatt-class High Energy Laser, causing a massive structural failure in the missile as it was rising in the sky. In other words: Boom. The engagement took only two minutes, demonstrating that this weapon will be extremely useful in destroying waves of missiles, one after the other. Like Missile Command, but from the air. [Boeing (http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1075) and Lockheed Martin (http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2010/02-12-ssc-abl-shootdown.html)]
http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?p=1 (http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?p=1) http://a.rfihub.com/eus.gif?eui=2226 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?d=H0mrP-F8Qgo</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=hQCfuIEBbOE:yO60Ed_Mykk:H0mrP-F8Qgo) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?d=yIl2AUoC8zA</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=hQCfuIEBbOE:yO60Ed_Mykk:yIl2AUoC8zA) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?i=hQCfuIEBbOE:yO60Ed_Mykk:D7DqB2pKExk</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=hQCfuIEBbOE:yO60Ed_Mykk:D7DqB2pKExk) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?i=hQCfuIEBbOE:yO60Ed_Mykk:V_sGLiPBpWU</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=hQCfuIEBbOE:yO60Ed_Mykk:V_sGLiPBpWU)
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More... (http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/hQCfuIEBbOE/video-of-airborne-laser-destroying-a-ballistic-missile)