Star Wars In Space?

I was an early and vocal proponent of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) and was a part of the Project High Frontier Speakers Bureau in the 1980s. "Star Wars" (as its opponents typically describe it) made sense and should be a policy priority for our nation. Fortunately, Ronald Reagan agreed and we won the war against the Soviets without firing a single shot. How? Because SDI created a level of doubt in the Soviets that their weapons would not be effective. Furthermore, the US grew its offensive weapon arsenal as well at that time and changed geopolitical landscape.

We have seen SDI technology work before. Such defense systems were used by the US in Israel during the first Gulf War and successfully knocked off Soviet SCUD missiles used by Iraq. Fast forward to today and the technology, against, appears poised to come to the rescue.

What seems like the thesis of a sci-fi movie, the US is moving as quickly as possible to respond a satellite moving quickly towards crashing into earth. The vehicle appears to have toxins that could create an environmental hazard if it hits the ground. With SDI, this satellite will likely be destroyed and its debris will burn up as it enters the earth's atmosphere. It is great to see this technology used in a very important and peaceful way. Furthermore, I kind of like the warning shot such technology will provide towards potential enemies. Just one more reason to be grateful for the Reagan years.

Kevin Price is Host of the Houston Business Show (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.