Materials for SDI
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Materials for SDI Gerold Yonas Chief Scientist and Acting Deputy Director Strategic Defense Initiative Organization At the plenary session held December 4, 1985 during the annual MRS Fall Meeting in Boston, Dr. Gerold Yonas was the keynote speaker. He was introduced to the packed ballroom by 1985 MRS President Elton N. Kaufmann. Kaufmann: T o i n t r o d u c e o u r p l e n a r y a d d r e s s t h i s e v e n i n g , I w o u l d like to m a k e a few r e m a r k s on t h e c o n t e x t in which it is being p r e s e n t e d . l a m s u r e you a r e all a w a r e t h a t m a t e r i a l s r e s e a r c h , as m o s t fields of science, is a field w h e r e it is r a r e indeed t h a t one can cleanly separate the technical a s p e c t s of a p r o g r a m from t h e social, econ o m i c , a n d political a s p e c t s . T h i s e v e n i n g ' s topic is c e r t a i n l y n o e x c e p t i o n . It involves t h e U.S. g o v e r n m e n t ' s S t r a t e g i c D e f e n s e Initiative, o r SDI for s h o r t . It h a s broad technical and political implications and has raised highly c o n t e n t i o u s issues of both technical feasibility and political a p p r o p r i a t e n e s s . It is in e v e r y s o u r c e of n e w s available t o d a y . T h i s e v e n i n g w e w a n t to focus on t h o s e technical a s p e c t s of SDI w h i c h involve m a t e r i a l s a n d w h i c h s h o u l d t h e r e f o r e be of i n t e r e s t to this audience. R e c e n t l y , in Space Business News, J o h n M c T a g u e , A c t i n g D i r e c t o r o f O S T P (Office of Science and T e c h n o l o g y Policy), indicated t h a t " t h e t e c h n o l o g y of S w o r d s and t h e t e c h n o l o g y of P l o w s h a r e s h a v e m u c h in c o m m o n . " Of c o u r s e t h e d e g r e e of c o m m o n a l i t y b e t w e e n t h e S w o r d s and t h e P l o w s h a r e s b e c o m e s g r e a t e r a s o n e g o e s to m o r e f u n d a m e n t a l r e s e a r c h . In t h e s a m e article G e r o l d Y o n a s indicated t h a t " s e v e r a l a s p e c t s of SDI a r e likely to h a v e e n o r m o u s implications in t h e p r i v a t e sector w i t h spinoffs d i r e c t e d i n t o e v e r y p a r t of t h e e c o n o m y . " In a d d i t i o n to t h e technical m a t e r i a l s a s p e c t of t h e p r o g r a m t h o s e l a r g e r i s s u e s will c e r t a i n l y impact o u r lives. In t h a t spirit w e w a n t to m a k e this p r e s e n t a t i o n so you can e v a l u a t e t h e p r o g r a m w i t h a m a x i m u m a m o u n t o f i n f o r m a t i o n . Of c o u r s e , b e c a u s e this is a publicly c o n t r o v e r s i a l issue, I need to s t r e s s t h a t t h e Society is n o t e n d o r s i n g o n e p a r t i c u l a r view o r a n o t h e r . B u t , w e a r e strongly advocating the widedissemination of i n f o r m a t i o n on a topic such as this. We a r e pleased t h i s e v e n i n g to h a v e D r . Y o n a s h e r e . H e received his BS d e g r e e from C o r n e l l and his
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