President Donald Trump has been inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome defense against short-range rockets to build something grander, akin to former President Ronald Reagan’s “Strategic Defense Initiative” — dubbed “Star Wars” by 1980s critics for its fanciful concept of shooting down incoming missiles with space-based lasers.

In terms of developing a working missile shield, Star Wars was a flop, although it did lead to technologies that helped produce today’s effective battlefield systems and spook the Russians enough to contribute to the United States winning the Cold War.