davido (04/27/83)
In-Real-Life: David H. Olson @ Tektronix, Instrument Division ---------- Considering the effectiveness of the tiles on the space shuttle as an ablative heat shield and the necessity for any beam weapon to penetrate such shield by focusing a high powered beam very precisely for a fairly long period of time it would seem that the cost of the ABM system might conciveably have to double for every doubling in effectiveness of the shield. And one simple way to double the shield effectiveness is to double its thickness. The point is that the cheapness of defenses against the ABM system would seem to make the system a dubious proposition at this time.