Friday, 15 May 1992 Washington, DC

1. SDI OFFICIALS QUIETLY LAY THE "STAR WARS" X-RAY LASER TO REST.
The promise of a nuclear-pumped x-ray laser lay behind President Reagan's call for the Strategic Defense Initiative in March 1983. Two years later on the eve of the Reykjavik summit, Edward Teller wrote to Paul Nitze, chief US arms negotiator, advising him that "Excalibur," named after another mythical weapon, was ready for "engineering development." The message was clear: Don't make any deals; we have the upper hand. Teller's optimism, alas, was based on a spurious experimental result. In 1990 Congress eliminated directed energy weapons as a line in the SDI budget, but research went on at Livermore at a low level using general research funds. Recent top secret "leaks" have claimed progress in an apparent effort to save the program, but SDI officials informed Congress that no further investment in the x-ray laser is planned. RIP.

2. HIRE AMERICAN STUDENTS!
Rep. Paul Henry (R-MI) promises that his American Math and Science Student Support Act (WN 17 Apr 92) will counter the downward trend in the interest level of American students in graduate study of science and engineering. The bill would require institutions hiring nonimmigrant alien students on federal funds to certify that no qualified U.S. citizen is avail- able. About 60% of foreign graduate students in the physical sciences enjoy federal funding, only 40% of the American students receive support. Henry argues that more American students might be interested if we would just get rid of those foreigners.

3. HIRE AMERICAN LEGISLATORS!
SpaceCause, a lobbying organization for Space Station Freedom, can reach key members of Congress by just calling a board meeting. The lobbying arm of the National Space Society, SpaceCause's financial supporters include Boeing, IBM, General Dynamics, Lockheed, McDonnell Douglas, Rockwell and TRW. Its board includes George Brown (D-CA), chair of the author- izing committee for Freedom, and Bob Traxler (D-MI), chair of the subcommittee responsible for space station appropriations.

4. ASTRONAUTS BAG WAYWARD SATELLITE! NASA FLUNKS ECONOMICS 102.
Hollywood could not have scripted it better. On the eve of a critical Senate vote on the NASA budget, with the world watching in suspense, astronauts with the "right kind of stuff" wrestle a five ton satellite into submission on their final attempt. How much did it cost to save the $157M communications satellite? NASA puts the cost of each shuttle mission at $363M, but no one else understands this arithmetic. The shuttle program costs about $6B per year; last year there were six shuttle flights. That comes to $1B for each flight! Either way, its goofy economics. Daniel Goldin, NASA's chief, defends the mission as a learning exercise for space station assembly. NASA is learning it won't be easy.

5.HOUSE/SENATE CONFEREES DEADLOCKED ON SUBSTITUTE RESCISSION BILL
(WN 8 May 92). Jobs (ours and theirs) are the major concern.



Bob Park can be reached via email at whatsnew@bobpark.org
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
Opinions are the author's and are not necessarily shared by the University, but they should be.