- Baucom, D. R. (2004). The rise and fall of brilliant pebbles 1.The Journal of Social, Political and Economic Studies, 29(2). 143-190. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351143721-15
Summary
This is a long review on the history behind the Brilliant Pebbles Project. It began in 1983 when President Ronald Regan began to call for Anti-Ballistic Missle defences. Several Years later in 1986 Dr. Lowell Wood from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory comes up with the Brilliant Pebbles Concept. At the time, this would be a cheap program utilizing very small and light satelites as kill vehichles, estimated to be only a few kilograms and as cheap as one hundred thousand dollars each. This would require constellations of thousands of satellites to ensure that there would be available satellites in position to intercept attacks and provide redundancy. As time and technology advanced, the BP concept was able to reduce the number o required satellites consiterably, and the expected project cost continued to decrease. However, during the late Cold War, arms limitation treaties heavily restricted Anti-Ballistic Missle defences and after the fall of the Soviet Union, funding was eventuially cut after determining that realistic threats at the time could be better served using bround based platforms.
Connection
This is a historical review of the Brilliant Pebbles (BP) project, conducted after its end, with access to sources from many studies that are not available in the library databases to which I have access. The author proposes that the Brilliant Pebbles project was realistic and fundamentally feasible to complete and uses scientific papers from the time and other successful programs that directly applied BP technologies.. First was a collection of scientific papers from JASON (Mitre), DSB (Defense Science Board), and BDM corporation. Each of these was an important advisory board of scientists which agreed that the technology behind the proposal was realistic. These were peer reviewed and thus published by very reputable sources. However, none of these are fully available with the resources available to me, and thus I must rely on summary and quotes from this article. Near the end of the review, the author also describes the fact that the technology behind Brilliant Pebbles is realistic because it was handed over to many other organizations. The most relevant was the Clementine Space Program wich used nearly all of the developed technology on a lunar satellite mission.
Quotes
- “The bottom line in the JASONs findings was that there were no technological “show stoppers” or fatal flaws in the BP concept. Moreover, he continued, the Brilliant Pebbles interceptor could probably be produced using current technology, although a better BP interceptor could be produced with technologies that were just a couple of years downstream.” Quoting Dr. John M. Cornwall from Cornell University (p.157)
- “ The DSB report noted that the design of BP had thus far been examined by a number of competent and independent groups. While these examinations had pointed to several areas for possible improvement, no fundamental flaws had been uncovered” (p.159)
- “Specifically, Clementine’s cameras and sensors had been developed for BP. Clementine also verified the autonomous operational mode that was to have been employed with Brilliant Pebbles.” (p.188)
- Office of the Inspector General, Reed, D. E., Meling, J. E., Claypool, M. H., Hoyt,J. A., Schleuger, L.F., Tollefson, H.R., Tuxhorn, M., White, N.C.(1994) DTIC ADA338793: Brilliant Pebbles Program. Defense Technical Information Center. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/DTIC_ADA338793/page/n5/mode/2up.
Summary
This was a financial report auditing the Brilliant Pebbles Program and concluding that the Strategic Defence Inititative Office (SDIO) and the Air Force spent the money allocated well. The project spent about 1.1 billion dollars in total but did so efficiently over the four year lifespan of the program. The audit begins with a short description of Brilliant Pebbles. This was a proposal for a constellation of satellites that included interceptor kill vehiuchles to act as space-based interceptors able to shoot down strategic missile attacks. The audit discusses the one disruptive incident to the plan wich was an order from the President in 1991 to increase the budget and allow extra time because they wanted the BP intercetors to have more options for when to intercept. The program then lists various Program elements that were adudited. The test planning was done well, the schedule was realistic and adhered to, costs were within budget, specified contract tasks were completed, and engineering and logistical plans for the future were in place.
Connection
I think this is a important document to give context on how economically possible the program is and possible pitfalls that should be taken into account. Specifically, the list of program elements that needed to be audited was a excellent rubric. In addition, the relatively low costs and timeline in addition to the audit suggesting that everything was on time and successful lends further evidence that BP was possible to be developed. Furthermore, the section discussing the Presidents orders to modify the project is a important example on why creating realistic timelines and having plans in place to follow them are importgant, because the sudden increase in requirements led to the project’s only cost overrun and delay expectation.
Quotes
- “The termination decision was not a reflection on the quality of program management.” (p.1)
- “ Specifically, the Brilliant Pebbles’ infrared seeker, miniature propulsion system, and guidance systems may provide techhnology improvements for other missile programs, … The Brilliant Pebbles’ high-capacity space-based computers, solar panels, and laser communications technology may also be applied to future lightweight satellites” (p.2)
- “The SDIO and the Air Force managed the Brilliant Pebbles Program efficiently and cost-effectively within the development and funding constraints imposed by Congress”(p.4)
