August 4, 1980

August 4, 1980

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Technical Survey

U. S. Nears Laser Weapon Decisions

Technical Survey

Accelerator Deemed Beam Weapon Key

Technical Survey

Weapons Laboratory Aids Beam Effort

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4849
Technical Survey

U. S. Nears Laser Weapon Decisions

Washington—The U. S. is on the verge of determining whether high-energy lasers are simply large flashlights or killers — weapons with beams capable of destroying high-speed maneuvering targets at distances of hundreds of miles. The Defense Dept, will increase by 51% the funding in Fiscal 1981 over the present fiscal year and plans to spend $73.7 million in developing the technology leading toward space-based, high-energy laser weapon systems.
6061
Technical Survey

Accelerator Deemed Beam Weapon Key

Albuquerque—Development and demonstration by Sandia Laboratories of a radial pulse line accelerator at Kirtland AFB on the southeast edge of this desert city is considered by the Defense Dept. as one of the keys in technology leading toward a particle beam weapon for the U. S.
5657
Technical Survey

Weapons Laboratory Aids Beam Effort

Kirtland AFB, N. M.—Air Force Weapons Laboratory here is deeply involved in directed-energy technology programs in support of the U. S. effort to field high-energy laser and particle beam weapons. The technology program is embodied in two major areas in this large installation on the southeast edge of Albuquerque.
6263
Technical Survey

White Horse Concentrates on Neutral Particle Beam

Los Alamos, N. M.—On the volcanic caldera of Pajarito Plateau here where the U. S. began the nuclear age, there is a new technology emerging that could, if successful, make superpower reliance on nuclear warheads obsolete. This is the home of neutral-particle-beam technology being developed in this University of California laboratory under the code name “White Horse.”
4445
Technical Survey:

Directed-energy Effort Shifted

2829

Trunk Quarter Losses Larger Than Forecast

Trunk airline second-quarter losses, expected to be in the neighborhood of $105 million, represent one of the worst yearto-year comparisons in the industry’s history. The industry losses were even larger than expected, primarily because the $47.7-million second-quarter net loss by Braniff was nearly double expectations.

By Michael Feazel10 min

6667
Technical Survey

High-intensity Electron Beams Pushed

Livermore, Calif.—Generation and propagation of high-intensity electron beams at the University of California’s Lawrence Livermore Laboratory here in the hills east of San Francisco is the first step by the U. S. in moving toward charged-particle-beam weapons development.
1617
Aeronautical Engineering

Multipurpose Bomber Advances

Authorization approved by conferees using language that is careful to avoid linking project with B-1

By Clarence A. Robinson9 min

3435

Freight Traffic Growth Predicted to Continue, But at Slower Rate

By Edward W. Bassett8 min

1819
Space Technology

Nasa Studies Manned Space Station

Houston — Johnson Space Center is defining a $2-3 billion permanently manned U. S. space station for the late 1980s to exploit man’s capabilities in large-scale orbital activities, eventually extending to geosynchronous altitude and to counter Russian dominance of long-duration manned flight.

By Craig Covault8 min

July 281980 August 111980