Missile defense

Missile defense

Measures designed to detect, identify, track, and defeat attacking (ballistic) missiles in both strategic and theater tactical roles, during any portion of their flight trajectory (boost, post-boost, midcourse, or terminal) or to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of such attack.

Industry: Military

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Missile defense

Space power

Military; Missile defense

Generation and control of electrical energy in space, from various originating sources (e.g., nuclear, chemical, solar).

Boost phase

Military; Missile defense

That portion of the flight of a ballistic missile or space vehicle during which the booster and sustainer engines operate.

Collocation

Military; Missile defense

The physical placement of two or more detachments, units, organizations, or facilities at a specifically defined location.

Laser tracker

Military; Missile defense

A device that locks on to the reflected energy from a laser marked/designated and defines the direction of the target relative to itself.

Infrared (IR)

Military; Missile defense

Electromagnetic radiations of wavelength between the longest visible red (7,000 Angstroms or 7 x 10E4 millimeter) and about 1 millimeter. (See Electromagnetic Radiation.)

Critical risk

Military; Missile defense

The existence of a vulnerability that could cause exceptionally grave damage to the viability or the operational effectiveness of the SDS.

Reentry phase

Military; Missile defense

That portion of the trajectory of a ballistic missile or space vehicle where there is a significant interaction of the vehicle and the earth's atmosphere.