Laser Beams, Rail Guns, and Invisibility Cloaks

When Science Fiction Becomes Science Fact

Nov 10, 2009

Sometimes ideas are dreamed up in the production studios of Hollywood, then later turned into real-life phenomena.

In 1983 former President Ronald Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). The idea was to mount lasers onto satellites to shoot down incoming Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM's)launched by our enemies toward US soil. At the time, many people derided the project as "impractical" (Encarta, 2009). The idea received the nickname "Star Wars" because many people regarded it as unrealistic as the fictitious weapons from George Lucas' 1977 film (Crowley, 2005).

Whether critics' skepticism at the time was well-founded or not, the military is currently developing a similar weapon. According to Shaun McKeegan for the online publication GizMag, the team of Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin have successfully tested an Airborne Laser (ABL), which will be capable of destroying a missile carrying "chemical, biological, and nuclear warheads almost immediately after launch." The current system is mounted on a Boeing 747 instead of a satellite, and has already gone through successful tests.

Video Game Weapons Systems Become Military Weapons Systems

Another unlikely example of science-fiction- turned real is a projectile weapon called a "rail gun." In simple terms, the weapon uses electric current and magnetic rods to propel a bullet instead of traditional gunpowder (Sofge, 2008). Those familiar with popular first person-shooting video games such as Doom and Quake may have heard of such a concept. Rail guns were also the central theme for the sci-fi action film Eraser, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Although in the film and games rail guns appear to be mere fantasy, the US military is currently very interested in such a system. As mentioned in a 2008 article by Popular Mechanics Magazine, the Navy received a 32-mega-joule Rail Gun manufactured by British Aerospace Electronics (BAE) Systems.

The Marines have also picked up the rail gun concept: "Apparently, the Marines are interested in the potential of rail guns to deliver supporting fire from up to 220 miles away - around 10 times further than standard ship-mounted cannons."What at first appeared only useful for killing virtual enemies appears to have practical applications in destroying live targets at extreme ranges.

Fighter Jets and Battle Tanks: Stealth Technology Concept Taken to a Whole New Level

Lockheed Martin shocked the world when it unveiled the F - 117 Night Hawk, a secret plane from its infamous "Skunk Works" division during the Persian Gulf War. What was so impressive about this aircraft at the time is that special materials were used and its unique design made it virtually invisible to enemy radar.

However, what if significant advances in technology allowed that same plane to be modified to be invisible to the naked eye as well? The idea seems unlikely, because "invisibility" may seem something out of popular science fiction as Star Trek, Predator, and various comic book novels. However, just as with rail guns and laser weapons, the military is taking the outrageous idea seriously. Just recently the British Military was able to make a battle tank completely invisible using cameras and projectors to map images of the surrounding terrain onto the tank (Clark).

Yet, the process is getting even more advanced. A recent MSNBC article by Alan Boyle suggests researchers are discovering new materials that "can throw a cloak of invisibility around objects." These materials are called "metamaterials," and they work by bending light around the object, enabling the viewer to see right through it.

The Future: Hollywood Production Studios Think Up the Next Weapons Systems

While it may be a while before unseen infantry armed with lasers and high - velocity rail guns blast enemy targets at tremendous ranges of 50-100 miles away, this is clearly the direction research is headed. Much of it was thought up in production studios of Hollywood, of all places!

Boyle, Alan. Here's How To Make an Invisibility Cloak - Theoretical Cloaking Device Could Soon Become Reality (sort of) May 25, 2006. http://www.msnbc.com

McKeegan, Shaun. Airborne Laser Project Achieves Development Milestones. September 5, 2007. http://www.gizmag.com/go/7957/

Crowley, Kevin. The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI): Star Wars. Circa 2005. http://www.coldwar.org

The copyright of the article Laser Beams, Rail Guns, and Invisibility Cloaks in Aerospace Engineering is owned by David Musser. Permission to republish Laser Beams, Rail Guns, and Invisibility Cloaks in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.