- Terra-3
Terra-3 is a
laser testing centre, located on theSary Shagan anti-ballistic missile testing range inKaragandy Province ofKazakhstan . coord |45.848|N|73.518|E|Development
Development of laser weapons in the Soviet Union began in
1964 -1965 . [cite web |url=http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/program/soviet/990600-bmd-rus.htm |publisher=Federation of American Scientists|author=A. Karpenko| title=ABM And Space Defense|work=Nevsky Bastion |date=1999|pages=pp. 2-47] Vympel OKB was amongst the first to be given work on these weapons. In the 1970s they built the Terra-3 complex for research purposes. It was meant as an ABM and ASAT weapon, but even theAstrofizika high energy red ruby andcarbon dioxide laser s that were eventually installed proved to be insufficient for use againstballistic missile s. The first applications would have to be limited to anti-satellite, and then primarily to blind optical sensors. [cite web | url=http://www.astronautix.com/craft/terra3.htm | publisher=Encyclopedia Astronautica |title=Terra-3]huttle "Challenger" illumination
It is alleged that on
10 October ,1984 , Soviet Minister of DefenceDmitry Ustinov ordered the Terra-3 complex to fire a warning shot at the shuttle "Challenger", in response to the U.S.Strategic Defense Initiative plans announced a year earlier, and the continued military use of the shuttle. Even though the shuttle was illuminated with a low-power laser, it caused malfunctions to on-board equipment and discomfort (possibly even temporary blinding) of the crew. [cite web|url=http://www.astronautix.com/flights/sts41g.htm|title=SGS-41-G mission report|accessdate=2008-01-01|publisher=Encyclopedia Astronautica]References
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