What Ever Became of This?

Senate 1981 roll call vote (# 115), on the Department of Defense Authorization Act: Wallop amendment authorizing $30 million additional funding for development of a space-based laser weapon. Here's how the DPC vote book describes the debate (only three senators voted nay):

Proponents argued that the laser program is a most exciting development because it is a weapon directed not at human beings or cities or industry, but against other weapons. For the first time in many decades, defensive capabilities may overtake offensive capabilities, and we may be able to protect the American people from the terrible effects of nuclear war. A primitive five-megawatt laser battle station would cost $2 to $3 billion. Four of these could destroy all Soviet bombers and many submarine launched missiles. A full deployment of 24 ten-megawatt lasers, costing $50 billion, could destroy all Soviet ICBM's. Intelligence officials estimate that the Soviets will test a laser weapon in orbit by the middle of this decade. The U.S., they insisted, must press its technological advantage to develop this truly defensive weapon before the Soviets.

I'm pretty sure we never deployed these laser battle stations, so I guess this never came to much. I think that these so-called intelligence officials were watching Moonraker rather than analyzing actual intelligence. I mean, Moonraker was released in 1979, so it's possible. Or, at least that's what my intelligence officers tell me . . . .