The effects of any budget/program decisions made since the information was collected during 1997-98 are NOT reflected in the National Security Space Road Map (NSSRM).

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(U) The Directed Energy (Chemical Laser) program is structured to address the key critical technical issues: (1) Can a chemical laser be built powerful enough to destroy a missile at militarily useful ranges? (Alpha program); (2) Can mirrors and optics be built large enough and easily enough? (Large Aperture Mirror Program (LAMP) and Large Optical Segment (LOS)); (3) Can the high power beam be controlled and directed adequately? (Large Optics Demonstration Experiment (LODE)); (4) Can missile targets be acquired and tracked from space and can a laser be pointed and fired accurately enough? (Acquisition, Tracking and Pointing/Fire Control (ATP/FC)); (5) Can these key components be integrated into a functional unit suitable for space flight and remotely operated? (SHIELD ground test); (6) Can the fully integrated system operate adequately on-orbit? (Space demonstration).

• Related Initiatives
• Related Categories
• Road Map Placements
• Additional Hotlinks

Related Initiatives (U): None.

Related Categories (U):

This Table Is Unclassified.

Name	Title
BMDO Technology Thrusts	BMDO Technology Thrusts

Road Map Placements (U):

This Table Is Unclassified.

Name	Title
TECHNOLOGY- RDT&E	SPACE TECHNOLOGY

Requirements, Funding and Additional Hotlinks (U):

(U) None.

Date Of Information (U):

(U) 21 November 1997

(U) Road Map Production Date: 18 June 2001