[Paul Ross]

"That same public will want to know why so little has been accomplished to date."

Unless of course they are RATs...we will never see this sentiment expressed for the evening news...

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thank you, how timely:

Where are ‘Star Wars’ critics now?

[Marine_Uncle]

Thanks for the ping. The needs for a complete SDI system continue to bark at the heels of those that resists. I would not spend another dime on manned flights within our solar system until a complete shield was developed. Of course NASA would scream it's butt off if the Airforce suddenly came back into vogue as the premier supplier of space systems. And with dwindling funds for any space programs, lets face it, minority moms and kids need big bucks to p*ss away on cell phones and the like, and a economy that could go flat as things develop in various circles, it is going to be a hard sell.
Surely we need leadership that will look very carefully at the need for SDI and associated ground/sea based system integration, and realize, if we don't start to advance along the "just right path", it will not see the light of day for a very long time if at all. The Russians and Chinese are not going to stand still in developing new ICBM systems that is for sure. And we no longer have a jump from the technological stand point. Everyone has good chemist,physicists,engineers,software system designers etc.. No one has a clear advantage anymore.