In 1961, John F. Kennedy gave a speech in which he set the goal of landing a man on the moon before the closing of the decade.  He is widely hailed for his vision and leadership for this.

In 1983, Ronald Reagan laid out plans for the Strategic Defensive Initiative, which would be able to stop nuclear missiles from hitting the U.S.  The technology wasn’t quite there yet, like when JFK gave his speech, but Reagan was criticized much more.

Today, missile defense is becoming not only a possibility, but is turning out to be a potential reality.  We’ve carried out successful missile defense tests that could protect the homeland and keep us all safe.  Reagan doesn’t get much credit for his vision.

In honor of that vision, here’s a brief timeline of missile defense.

March 23, 1983

“I call upon the scientific community who gave us nuclear weapons to turn their great talents to the cause of mankind and world peace: to give us the means of rendering these nuclear weapons impotent and obsolete.”

-Ronald Reagan

March 23, 1983

“The Democratic alternative in the house is a far more responsible answer to the real defense needs of our nation than the misleading red scare tactics and reckless Star Wars schemes of the president.”

-Ted Kennedy

March 27, 1983

“President Reagan’s desire for a missile-proof shield around America and its allies expresses the deepest longing of the nuclear age – for a place to hide. But it remains a pipe dream, a projection of fantasy into policy.”

-The New York Times

April 14, 1983

“I cannot take this proposal seriously. It is fundamentally flawed and just hasn’t been thought out.”

-Kostas Tipis of MIT

1984

The SDIO (Strategic Defensive Initiative Organization) is created to oversee SDI.

October 1986

Reagan offers SDI technology to Mikhail Gorbachev, who rejects it, saying “Excuse me, Mr. President, but I do not take your idea of sharing SDI seriously. You don’t want to share even petroleum equipment, automatic machine tools or equipment for dairies, while sharing SDI would be a second American Revolution.”

1991

George H.W. Bush uses his State of the Union address to shift the focus of SDI to regional warfare.

1993

Bill Clinton further emphasized regional-based warfare, closing the SDIO (Strategic Defense Initiative Organization) and forming the BMDO (Ballistic Missile Defense Organization).

Bush Administration

George W. Bush revives missile defense, leading to Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GBMD).

December 5, 2008

The U.S. conducts a successful ballistic missile defense test over the Pacific.