Environmental Assessment for the Brilliant Pebbles Tether Test at the Nevada Test Site

Technical Report · Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:6855055

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) proposes to conduct a captive flight test of a prototype Brilliant Pebble (BP) at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). A Brilliant Pebble is a small, maneuverable, rocket powered, laser-equipped vehicle being designed to detect, track, and intercept ballistic missiles. The tests described in this Environmental Assessment would allow the vehicle to be tested at the earth's surface, before the more expensive tests in space take place. To simulate the zero gravity conditions found in space, the BP vehicle would be hung from a very high tower, allowing the vehicle to maneuver freely in the horizontal plane. To simulate tracking and interception, a way to produce rapidly approaching laser light reflections must be devised. The proposed action is to install a long line of shuttered reflectors, which would be capable of opening and closing extremely rapidly under remote control. These reflectors would be installed in a straight line leading toward, but not exactly at, the BP hanging from the tower. These reflectors would then be opened and shut in a very rapid sequence, beginning at the far end. As the BP's laser touched the sequence of opening reflectors, the return signals would appear to the BP to be the reflections from a rapidly approaching target.'' An on-board computer would then calculate the speed and (apparent) trajectory of the target,'' as indicated by the reflected light signals. The computer would then direct the rocket motors to fire in a specific direction to intercept the target'' as it approached the tower. The sequence of increasingly complex tasks required to suppose this test are described in detail in the following pages, along with an analysis of potential environmental, health, and safety effects.

• Research Organization: USDOE Assistant Secretary for Defense Programs, Washington, DC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 6855055
• Report Number(s): DOE/EA-0621; ON: DE93003869
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
SPACE VEHICLES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
LAWRENCE LIVERMORE LABORATORY
NEVADA TEST SITE
NATIONAL DEFENSE
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
TESTING
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VEHICLES
450500* - Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense- Strategic Defense Initiative- (1990-)