In a proposal that would surely bring a tear to
the late Ronald Reagan's eye, Air Force officials are attempting to co-opt $5.7 million from the 2007 budget for
developing high-energy lasers that could be used to destroy enemy satellites (because, you know, al Qaeda is launching
birds left and right). So far a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee has "shot down" the
program, which would build on a 1997 Pentagon study of a two-million-watt laser, although the full committee could
reinstate the provision following analysis of the entire bill. While certain military interests have pushed for
anti-satellite weapons since the Cold War, concern over the space junk that destroyed sats would create has kept the
international community from serious pursuit of any "Star Wars"-like programs. Although we're always keen on
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