Airborne Lasers: Making Sci-Fi a Reality

Shooting down missiles with an infrared laser attached to the front of an airplane sounds like an idea straight out of a 1960’s sci-fi TV show. But in the late 2000’s, Boeing and other contractors worked with funding provided by the US Department of Defense to do just this. What once was thought to be an impossible task was readily proven to work, though the project was ultimately scrapped in 2012.

Come listen to Don Clapp, retired Airborne Laser Chief Engineer, and Rich Flanders, Airborne Laser Program Manager, on what it takes to successfully develop and operate a massive laser to shoot down ballistic missiles.