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Strategic Defense Initiative facts for kids

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The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was a plan created by U.S. President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983 to use ground and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by nuclear ballistic missiles. The initiative focused on defense instead on the offensive mutual assured destruction (MAD).

Images for kids

  • C13571-8a

    President Reagan delivering the March 23, 1983 speech initiating SDI

  • ERINT

    Extended Range Interceptor (ERINT) launch from White Sands Missile Range

  • SO4 Hoe open Web

    4 m (13 ft) diameter web deployed by Homing Overlay Experiment

  • Space Laser Satellite Defense System Concept

    1984 artist's concept of a generic laser-equipped satellite firing on another with the proposed Space Station Freedom(ISS) in the background.

  • Slbd front

    SeaLite Beam Director, commonly used as the output for the MIRACL

  • SDIO LACE Spacecraft

    Technicians at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), work on the Low-powered Atmosphere Compensation Experiment (LACE) satellite.

  • Brilliant pebbles

    Brilliant Pebbles concept artwork

  • SDIO Delta Star

    Delta 183 launch vehicle lifts off, carrying the SDI sensor experiment "Delta Star", on March 24, 1989.

  • Ground-Space based hybrid laser weapon concept art

    An artist's concept of a ground / space-based hybrid laser weapon, 1984

  • Gorbachev and Reagan 1985-8

    SDI was high on Gorbachev's agenda at the Geneva Summit, November 1985.

  • SDIO KEW Lexan projectile

    SDI was not just lasers; in this Kinetic Energy Weapon test, a seven-gram Lexan projectile was fired from a light-gas gun at a velocity of 23,000 feet per second (7,000 meters per second or 15,682 miles per hour) at a cast aluminum block.

  • Keinen Krieg der Sterne

    SDI drew criticism from abroad as well. This 1986 Socialist German Workers Youth graffiti in Kassel, West Germany says "Keinen Krieg der Sterne! Stoppt SDI! SDAJ" or (No star wars! Stop SDI! SDAJ).

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