Location
Howard Johnson Plaza-Hotel, Atlantis/ Discovery Rooms
Start Date
24-4-1990 2:00 PM
End Date
24-4-1990 5:00 PM
Description
The goal of the Neutral Particle Beam (NPB) technology program is to develop a multimission directed energy weapon (DEW) system which can function as an effective component in a Strategic Defense System. The NPB has the capability to be used as both a weapon and discriminator platform. It can kill missiles and reentry vehicles in the boost, post-boost, and mid-course portion of an ICBM trajectory as well as discriminated objects during the midcourse phase. Objects from those boosters and "buses" not engaged in the boost and post boost phase would be engaged once the reentry vehicles and decoys have been deployed, i.e. during the midcourse phase of the trajectory. The NPB can be used to provide a passive, active, and interactive discrimination capability against these targets. Passive discrimination is accomplished by viewing visible, ultraviolet (UV) and/or infrared (IR) emissions from targets and decoys using on-board acquisition sensors. Active discrimination is accomplished by illuminating targets and decoys with a laser tracker on-board the NPB; while Interactive discrimination is accomplished by illuminating the target with the NPB which results in the emission of X-rays and neutrons which are proportional to the mass of the target. These emitted particles are measured by a free flying detector to determine the mass of the objects. During the discrimination process target state vectors (position and velocity) can be determined which can be handed over to space-based or ground-based interceptors. All the sensors are on the same platform. This reduces data processing since sensor-to-sensor correlation is not required.
Paper Session I-A - Neutral Particle Beam Overview
Howard Johnson Plaza-Hotel, Atlantis/ Discovery Rooms
The goal of the Neutral Particle Beam (NPB) technology program is to develop a multimission directed energy weapon (DEW) system which can function as an effective component in a Strategic Defense System. The NPB has the capability to be used as both a weapon and discriminator platform. It can kill missiles and reentry vehicles in the boost, post-boost, and mid-course portion of an ICBM trajectory as well as discriminated objects during the midcourse phase. Objects from those boosters and "buses" not engaged in the boost and post boost phase would be engaged once the reentry vehicles and decoys have been deployed, i.e. during the midcourse phase of the trajectory. The NPB can be used to provide a passive, active, and interactive discrimination capability against these targets. Passive discrimination is accomplished by viewing visible, ultraviolet (UV) and/or infrared (IR) emissions from targets and decoys using on-board acquisition sensors. Active discrimination is accomplished by illuminating targets and decoys with a laser tracker on-board the NPB; while Interactive discrimination is accomplished by illuminating the target with the NPB which results in the emission of X-rays and neutrons which are proportional to the mass of the target. These emitted particles are measured by a free flying detector to determine the mass of the objects. During the discrimination process target state vectors (position and velocity) can be determined which can be handed over to space-based or ground-based interceptors. All the sensors are on the same platform. This reduces data processing since sensor-to-sensor correlation is not required.
Comments
DOD Research and Development
Session Chairman: M. T. Runkle, USAF, GPS Program
Session Organizer: Gary Spirnak, USAF, 6555th Aerospace Test Group, CCAFS, FL