Energy News  
Aerospace Targets Airborne Laser Project

The Airborne Laser's optically-ground conformal window was exposed during a test flight on Tuesday, May 17. It was the first time the 1.7-meter optic, one of the most complex ever developed, had been unstowed during a flight, a maneuver necessary for the weapon system to complete its mission of shooting down a ballistic missile during the boost phase. During an operational mission, three of the four lasers that propagate outside the aircraft, including the megawatt-class "killer" laser, are fired through the window. USAF Photo by Jim Shryne.

Albuquerque NM (SPX) Aug 30, 2005
When it comes to ballistic missile defense, success doesn't directly tie in with a perfect launch. For the airborne laser (ABL) project, accomplishing the task of engineering a device that can ground a ballistic missile is critical to mission success.

Actualizing the concept of the airborne laser�a high-energy laser mounted on a modified Boeing 747-400F freighter�has required immense collaboration on every level. Like many large programs, Team ABL, which consists of a handful of defense contractors and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), relies on technical expertise from The Aerospace Corporation and other support contractors.

Over the past year, Aerospace employees James Thordahl, director, and Alvin Gilbert, project engineer in the company's Directed Energy, Space and Directed Energy Technology Directorate in Albuquerque, N.M., have been a critical part of the team that supports the Beam Control Fire Control (BCFC) segment of the program.

This portion of the ABL is responsible for target tracking, aiming of the lasers, and compensating for atmospheric conditions. In everything from BCFC systems engineering, integration and testing and performance evaluation, Aerospace has provided on-site support for the ABL team.

By the final month of last year, the ABL program accomplished both of its planned 2004 milestones: the first light, or use, of the high-energy laser system and the first flight of the integrated BCFC segment. With Aerospace experts on hand, the path to integration of the BCFC system, first in the laboratory and later on the ABL aircraft, culminated with the return-to-flight of the newly installed system on December 3, 2004.

In a letter to Aerospace President and CEO Dr. Bill Ballhaus, Lt. Gen. Henry Obering, director of the Missile Defense Agency, commended Thordahl and Gilbert for their contributions to the program.

"These gentlemen were an invaluable source of independent and objective views of development status for both government and contractor management," Obering wrote. "They are very qualified, knowledgeable, and always �part of the solution.'"

First contracted by the Air Force in 1996, the ABL program has seen leaps and bounds in demonstrated technology, along with varying levels of policy-maker support throughout its nearly decade-long existence. The accomplishments of the BCFC segment were particularly noteworthy and helped ensure continued funding for the project during a time of MDA budget cuts.

In further recognition of their support for the ABL program, Thordahl and Gilbert were both recognized as part of the ABL team that received the Air Force Materiel Command Test and Evaluation team award.

Past support, culminating in the first flight of the integrated BCFC system, has laid the groundwork for future ABL progress. Thordahl and Gilbert, along with Pat Enns, project engineer, Directed Energy, (Ballistic Missile Defense Systems Integration), Carole Robbins, project engineer, Development/Demonstration (systems engineering), and Lee Chavez, project engineer, Directed Energy (software engineering) will be continuing their support to the ABL program and its integration into the MDA's Missile Defense System.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Related Links
SpaceDaily
Search SpaceDaily
Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express
Space Technology News - Applications and Research



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


LIGO Up And Running, But Gravity Waves Remain Elusive
Washington DC (SPX) Jan 10, 2006
Scientists working on the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory said Monday the facility has reached its target detection sensitivity, but the goal of finding the elusive phenomena known as gravity waves remains as elusive as ever.







  • Oil Prices Near 71 Dollars After Hurricane
  • Outside View: Oil Prices And Recessions
  • Purdue Creates New Method To Drive Fuel Cells For Portable Electronics
  • US Oil Production Reels From Hurricane Katrina

  • South China Province Picks Likely Site For Fourth Nuclear Plant
  • U.K. Decommissioning More Expensive Than Expected
  • The Ecological Effects Of The Chernobyl Disaster
  • Nuclear Contamination Found In Four States

  • Getting To The TOPP Of Houston's Air Pollution
  • Scientists Seek Sprite Light Source



  • Novel Compounds Show Promise As Safer, More Potent Insecticides
  • Agriculture Reviving In Aceh After Tsunami: Scientists
  • Analysis: EU Farm Aid Under Spotlight
  • Global Warming To Boost Scots Farmers

  • Mitsubishi, TEPCO To Team Up On Electric Car: Report
  • Intelligent System Offers Safer Tunnel Traffic For Europe
  • The Driving Doctor: Take Time To Observe
  • Networking: 'Smart Highways' Emerging

  • Lockheed Martin's System Helping FAA Train New Controllers
  • Aviation Transformation Includes New Aircraft, Upgrades
  • China Issues License To Egypt Manufacturer To Build Fighter Jet Trainer
  • Japan, US Consider Floating Runway For US Military Training: Report

  • NASA plans to send new robot to Jupiter
  • Los Alamos Hopes To Lead New Era Of Nuclear Space Tranportion With Jovian Mission
  • Boeing Selects Leader for Nuclear Space Systems Program
  • Boeing-Led Team to Study Nuclear-Powered Space Systems

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement