Introduction

Zenith Star was a Directed-energy weapon that started development as part of the US Strategic Defence Initiative.

Background

Zenith Star included the Alpha laser, a high energy hydrogen fluoride chemical laser, and the LAMP mirror which was a 7 segment adaptive optics mirror.

It was never put in orbit, but the Alpha LAMP Integration (ALI) project carried out some ground-based tests.

Legacy

Around 1998 Space-Based lasers were reconsidered and led to the SBL-IFX project.

Refer to Project Excalibur (an anti-missile system using an X-ray laser powered by a nuclear bomb).