October 17, 1997🇺🇸Military Encounter
Military Base
White Sands: MIRACL laser test on MSTI-3 satellite
US military tested the MIRACL directed energy weapon from White Sands Missile Range against the aging USAF MSTI-3 satellite at 238 miles distance. Mixed results due to computer glitch preventing data transmission after second laser blast.
Background
Event Details On 17 October 1997, the US Army conducted a test at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, firing the Mid-Infrared Advanced Chemical Laser (MIRACL)—developed by the Navy in the 1980s—twice at the defunct USAF MSTI-3 reconnaissance satellite orbiting 238 miles away. The deuterium fluoride laser beams lasted about 1 and 10 seconds, simulating sensor disruption from accidental or hostile attacks without destroying the craft.
Technical Aspects MIRACL, originally for Strategic Defense Initiative, targeted the satellite's infrared camera to assess military satellite vulnerability to ground-based lasers. Pentagon reported partial success as a glitch halted MSTI-3's telemetry on the second hit, though illumination was confirmed. Additional sources note 416 km distance and TRW construction.
Context and Reactions Test reignited ASAT debates; critics like Senator Tom Harkin warned of arms race risks. Russia protested potential anti-satellite escalation. No witnesses named; evidence from Army papers and Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. Significance: First space-directed laser test, highlighting over 30 nations' potential for similar tech.
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