In 1987, Wake Island was selected as a missile launch site for a Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) program named Project Starlab/Starbird. In 1989, the U.S. Army Strategic Defense Command (USASDC) constructed two launch pads on Peacock Point, as well as nearby support facilities, for the eight-ton, , multi-stage Starbird test missiles. The program involved using electro-optical and laser systems mounted on the Starlab platform in the payload bay of an orbiting Space Shuttle to acquire, track, and target Starbird missiles launched from Cape Canaveral and Wake. After being impacted by mission scheduling delays caused by the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, the program was canceled in late September 1990 to protect funding for another U.S. Army space-based missile defense program known as Brilliant Pebbles. Although no Starbird missiles were ever launched from Wake Island, the Starbird launch facilities at Wake were modified to support rocket launches for the Brilliant Pebbles program, with the first launch occurring on January 29, 1992. On October 16, a Castor-Orbus rocket was destroyed by ground controllers seven minutes after its launch from Wake. The program was canceled in 1993.
in 1987 wake island was selected as a missile launch site for a strategic defense initiative (sdi) program named project starlab/starbird in 1989 the us army strategic defense command (usasdc) constructed two launch pads on peacock point as well as nearby support facilities for the eight-ton  multi-stage starbird test missiles the program involved using electro-optical and laser systems mounted on the starlab platform in the payload bay of an orbiting space shuttle to acquire track and target starbird missiles launched from cape canaveral and wake after being impacted by mission scheduling delays caused by the explosion of the space shuttle challenger the program was canceled in late september 1990 to protect funding for another us army space-based missile defense program known as brilliant pebbles although no starbird missiles were ever launched from wake island the starbird launch facilities at wake were modified to support rocket launches for the brilliant pebbles program with the first launch occurring on january 29 1992 on october 16 a castor-orbus rocket was destroyed by ground controllers seven minutes after its launch from wake the program was canceled in 1993