A Space-based Missile Interceptors is gaining currency following Congressional approval of $5 million for an independent study of possible element of the emerging U.S. anti-missile defense. The study was part of the fiscal 2009 defense spending bill signed into law on September 30 by President George W. Bush. It is the first seed money for potential space-based interceptors since a Democratic-controlled Congress canceled such work in 1993, it was noted at the Reuters Aerospace and Defense Summit yesterday.
A pro-space-based missile defense panel called the Independent Working Group has estimated that a space-based system could be tested within three years at a cost of $3 billion to $5 billion. The group further recommended deploying 1,000 space-based interceptors at a projected cost of $16.4 billion in 2005 dollars to provide "high-confidence" protection against attacks involving up to 200 warheads [video].
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