Today, the Pentagon will launch a missile in an attempt to shoot down another larger missile — in space. This is the very first test of our defenses against a simulated intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, a long-range missile that could conceivably threaten the US. Some experts warn that the United States’ missile defense system may not be as reliable as people think — and today’s trial is meant to test our capabilities.
Right now, a constellation of sensors and 36 interceptor missiles make up the ground-based midcourse defense system, or GMD — the only option we have for stopping a nuclear-tipped ICBM once it’s in the air. The GMD was rolled out starting in 2004 as insurance against a small-scale nuclear attack from North...
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