I understand that the National Ignition Facility at LLNL (Lawrence-Livermore National Lab) is still not effectively back on its feet after the two year, draining, debacle there. Some of the best people (what ever that means) have either left, resigned in disgrace or moved laterally to other projects within the lab. More Multi-million dollar limbo for the ill-fated, (some think doomed), multilaser IC fusion effort there.
Some use is trying to be made of the staff and materials in aiding business and industry with high energy laser apps, but it is just so that all those paychecks will not be going to staff members without a mission while the guv'ment figers out how to proceed.
Ostensibly, the project is still a go, but with significantly reduced laser numbers from the original design, a crippled staff, and limited funds.
The GAO's last report looked bleak.
Richard Hull
Created on Friday, January 26, 2001 9:52 AM EDT by Richard Hull