Question

What was the Star Wars project during the Cold War?

Answer 1

The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), also known as Star Wars, was a program first initiated on March 23, 1983, under President Ronald Reagan. The intent of this program was to develop a sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system in order to prevent missile attacks from other countries, specifically the Soviet Union.

Answer 2

Answer:  A plan for a defensive shield over the US designed to shoot down incoming missiles from the USSR.

Background/context:

In 1983, President Reagan proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), which was a plan for a space-based missile defense system against any threat of Soviet missiles.  Sometimes people referred to Reagan's plan as "Star Wars," because of the original idea to use lasers.  The plan ultimately developed into defensive missiles that could target and shoot down incoming offensive missiles.  More than 200 billion dollars were devoted to the Strategic Defense Initiative over the next four decades after the program was started.