European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 15, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes wednesday March 15,1989 Abrahamson urges Brilliant pebbles plan by Norman Black a military writer Washington the former chief of the Star wars research program urged the Pentagon upon his retirement to embrace a new plan for an anti missile de sense system relying on thousands of Brilliant pebbles floating in space. La. Gen. James a. Abrahamson who retired at the end of january whole in an end of tour memo dated feb. 9 hat the concept known As Brilliant pebbles offered both improved performance and dramatic Cost  he said the total Cost could be s2s billion far less than previous Esti males. To believe that with Corili Riund Effort and innovation a Brilliant pebbles con Cepi Hal Rencis phase i join chiefs of stuff requirements can be proven in two years with deployment starting three years later Abrahamson wrote this could be accomplished for less than $10 billion.". R the Brilliant pebbles program has been disclosed previously and is based on research under any at the. Lawrence. Livermore National Laboratory. The idea is to devise a Small cheap Light satellite that carries its own Small com Puter sensors and propulsion by slim. Thousands of i Csc. Tiny satellites could then be boosted into space encircling the Globe. If the soviet Union launched nuclear missiles against the United slates or its allies the Brilliant pebbles could Home in on their exhaust plumes and Rock off to destroy the mis Siles by colliding with hem. While the program has been detailed previously Abrahamson s ringing endorsement of the work had not been re ported. The Center for peace and free Dom a conservative Washington based think tank that has promoted Star wars released a copy of Abrahamson s memo on monday. It. Col. Edwina Palmer a spokeswoman for. Is sir -. Wars said inc pct Floh would have no comment on the Mailer but confirmed thai Abrahamson who is travelling and not available for comment did write the report to acting defense Secretary William h. Taft in. She added Hal in was a private  Agrahamson s successor it. Gen. Gorec l. Month fun jr., was to testify tuesday on Star wars before a House subcommittee. The  program known for Mally As the strategic defense initiative is a research Effort to develop lasers and other exotic weapons that could automatically shoot Down nuclear missiles fired at the United slates. The United Stales has so far spent about $16 billion on the Effort. The Pentagon just recently estimated that a 1 has 1 Star wars by slim using both ground based and space based weapons and sensors would cos about $69 billion. Abrahamson. In his memo said the Brilliant pebbles program was cuiling because in offered greater opportunities for an earlier and More affordable ski  to Complete a phase i by slim Buill around Brilliant pebbles. Abrahamson said the Pentagon would need to spend Only Aboul ii1 billion on a new up pc based sensor by slim and about 14 billion on .1 new command and control ground  thus an in fire sd1 phase 1 system. Should no i Cost More than approximately 525 billion he concluded. Abrahmson also argued in his report to tall Hal the Pentagon should increase the Sim of the Salt of the ski Organiza Tion As research moved to development that the head of Star wars be a four Star general instead of a three Star officer and that he be Given More direct control Over the various projects and that negotiations be opened with Congress to obtain an up front agreement on Star wars funding for the next two years Locking in totals that would not be tampered with. Ion from Page 1 the . Embassy March 2. Tour Days later the Fra adv in subcompact from the 1984 and j985 Model years because of unacceptably High Cha us emission Levels. All inc i ars arc equipped with 1.6-liter engines. Cali fornia or. Canadian vehicles Are Noi affected by the recall which ton wins one of several emission systems Ford May have used during those Model years. Ford will notify owners to bring their cars Inlo Deal ers for repairs and adjustments which May include the installation of two vacuum delay valves. Ford spokesman Mike Parris said owners of cars affected by this recall thai failed slate run emission tests could be eligible for reimbursements of any repair work if it is documented and related to the problem. He said each Case would be subject to a fair review a. Ford also announced the recall of approximately 57,000 1988 Model Mercury tracer subcompact lip Check the spark plug wires for car. Those engine wires could rub against an air Intel causing their ii us Lalion to Wear through and cause engine misfiring hard starting and poor fuel Economy. Ford will reroute the wires and replace them if Nec Essary. About 28,200 of those cars will also be inspected for bumper covers which May fade or Discolour if exposed to Strong sunlight.  replace  Cov ers Wilh an improved version Ali repairs will be done free of charge Ford said. Kidnapped missionaries freed after 2 months Bogota Colombia a two american missionaries who were a Duc cd from a religious Retreat two months ago apparently by drug Traffick ers to Fri released unharmed police and family  monday. Roy Libby of Portland Ore and Richard Grover of Warroad minn., were kidnapped Jan. 3 by an armed group car the municipality of Florida j80 Miles Southwest of Bogota while participating in a meeting of the evangelical missionary Union they were released unharmed sunday night near Florida and flew immediately to Ecuador to Niccol i hair families said Macior Pardo president of the Evangeli Cal confide Raisoni Pardo said they Hud been treated Well by their captors and no Ransom was paid for their release. Radio stations on monday received a Isaic Mcnol signed by the extra disables a gang of drug traffickers saying Libby and Crover were tried on suspicions they were working for inc . Drug enforcement administration bul were found to have no links to the Dea. Ite from Page l launch pad from Jusi a Short distance away caused some delay bul the major problem was the winds five Miles up. Officials feared a powerful Shear Force so twi tear the spacecraft apart Asil sped . I " to comp saw for the  computer aboard discovery was Qiu Edv  to adjust the ship s flight Angle. The stalled countdown clock was restarted and Ihen ticked Wilhour hesitation to liftoff. Mission commander Michael l. Coats a 43-Ycar old Navy Captain leads a Crew that includes ",,j6.""mjsptolf. A Marine  37, a  "  Wartnik t once in place the communications come the third and Tina link in a Constellation Van Nasa s future spat plans. By using the satellite network inc space Agency will be Able to Exchange radio messages Wilh inc shuttle and Oiher Sall Lipics at teas 85 a re Cal of Fth Lime they arc in orbit. A Small Sliver  Indian Ocean is the before the newest satellite Nasa depended on ground stations aug posts Wilh huge disc antennae sprinkled at Points around the Globe. Shuttle Astro nauts could speak to Mission control Only As they " the ground stations a link that covered Only 5 percent of each Mission Nasa Vail soon Iliili Fil  at a savings of s3 million a month