From: g_d_pusch_remove_underscores@xnet.com   
      
   vondee@kingwoodcable.com (EVD) writes:   
      
   > I am going to describe something I saw on Discovery Wings and I hope you   
   > can help identify it.  It was footage of an experiment that was not   
   > fully described in the story on use of satellites to assist allied   
   > soldiers in wartime.   
      
   Actually, it was developed as part of the SDI program (AKA "Satr WQars")   
   as a ballistic missile interceptor.   
      
      
   > Here is what I saw.   
   >   
   > A device, which I can only describe as resembling an automobile   
   > transmission, had what appeared to be 4 rocket exhaust nozzles mounted   
   > around the circumference about mid-body pointing radially from the   
   > centerline one at each 90 degrees (one pointing down, one up, one left,   
   > one right).  There also appeared to be several much smaller rocket   
   > nozzles at one end of device pointing away from the centerline.   
   >   
   > So now the experiment begins.  The video tape is running and you hear a   
   > countdown.  At zero, the entire device (again, picture an auto   
   > transmission with its long dimension oriented horizontally) leaps into   
   > the air and hangs there in a hover as the rocket nozzle pointed down   
   > fires in a pulsing fashion; looking almost like a machine gun muzzle.   
   > The left and right pointing nozzles fire periodically as if to steady   
   > the "aircraft" while the smaller nozzles at the end of the thing fire   
   > smaller jets up, down, left, right to stabilize it.  Then as the rockets   
   > all fire in a particular rapid sequence, the device rotates along its   
   > length by 90 degrees in a roll and one of the nozzles that had   
   > originally been pointing out to the side is now pointing down and it   
   > takes on the role of being the primary provider of lift as it fires   
   > spectacularly in a pulsing fashion.  You hear the voice in the   
   > background calling out "hover", "rotate", "hover" as this thing goes   
   > through its maneuvers.  Finally after either all planned moves are   
   > completed or the fuel is exhausted, all rocket motors shut off and the   
   > thing falls into a net.  Cheers can be heard from the guys conducting   
   > the flight test.   
   >   
   > I don't know if you can even begin to visualize what I am trying to   
   > describe here but I must say this few seconds of footage is one of the   
   > most spectacular flight tests I have ever seen.   
   >   
   > My question is, what was this thing?   
      
   As I said, it was developed by the SDIO as a ballistic missile interceptor;   
   do a websearch on "brilliant pebbles." The test was supposed to simulate   
   some of the terminal maneuvering the "brilliant pebble" would perform   
   as it guided itself toward a head-on impact with an incoming missile   
   or an orbiting satellite.   
      
      
   -- Gordon D. Pusch   
      
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