Posted by
michael
on from the tungsten-rods-dropped-from-500-miles-up dept.
anzha writes "Space.com is running an article on a RANDstudy about space based weapons and their potential effects on wars on more solid ground. Fascinating stuff."
Some questions
by
ObviousGuy
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Space weapons have been debated intensely in the past. The latest instance of prominent debate is over their use for ballistic missile defense. But this is not the only possible role for space weapons, and that fact raises a further concern: What if an adversary were to develop such weapons? Could one? Why would it?
- Rand
-- I have been pwned because my/. password was too easy to guess.
Star Wars? Looney Toons more like it.
by
caca_phony
·
· Score: 2, Funny
From the article: Then there are the thunder rods. Tossed down from orbit, these long and slender kinetic-energy devices use their own mass and very high velocity to create a destructive effect.
Lastly, for those looking for a celestial "big whopper" of a weapon, how about using natural meteoroids? Good-sized fireballs of metal could be sent to Earth, aimed at targets of choice. These impactors leave a nice crater.
so the only really reasonable weapons are basicly fancy hi tech names for dropping an anvil on the other guys head like they do in Looney Toons. Finally, my sig is appropriate;)
-- ...and this lie crawls out of its mouth: 'I, the state, am the people.'
-- I have been pwned because my/. password was too easy to guess.
In the basement at Rand headquarters
by
Hard_Code
·
· Score: 3, Funny
Eric: *puff* so here we are again guys Fez: Hey hey, let's play that game...joo know...where we think about ways to annihilate ourselves from space! *puff* Kelso: Yeah! Annihilation! Cool! *puff* Hyde: *puff* Ok - check this out - what if we like put LASERS up on satellites, and like, shoot people from space. Like in Star Wars! Eric: Haha yeah! *puff* No no wait - what if we just toss junk down and let the kinetic energy gained through falling through earth's atmosphere yeild an inexpensive but highly destructive bomb! Kelso: Like bowling balls! Fez: Well, guys, what if we just divert asteroids that are already up there? You know not *all* of us have money for expensive space programs. Eric: *puff* But...wait...what if something happens to our satellites? Hyde: *puff* Like anti-satellites? Fez: Aye...we need like anti-anti-satellites! Kelso: I say we just drop conventional weapons - this sci fi stuff is too confusing. Donna: *snorkle* Hahahah...You said balls!
One area I am amazed they don't touch on...
by
anzha
·
· Score: 2
...is the use of orbital lasers for antiaircraft work (unless I just missed it). Reason being that if you can force an enemy airforce below 30k ft (9k m) you have an immense advantage in an airwar. (Below 30k feet the laser's beam tends to have too much in the way of atmospheric problems).
Another thing that startled me is that they are talking about using HF (hydrogen flouride) lasers. While definitely cheaper than DF (deuterium flouride), their atmospheric propogation sucks raw eggs.
Additionally, no mention of solid state lasers like the oneLawrence Livermore National Labs is developing for HELSTF is made. FEL's are, but they're slower going work than the SSL's seem to be.
-- Do you know why the road less traveled by is littered with the bones of the unwary?
Slashdot Mirror
Space weapons have been debated intensely in the past. The latest instance of prominent debate is over their use for ballistic missile defense. But this is not the only possible role for space weapons, and that fact raises a further concern: What if an adversary were to develop such weapons? Could one? Why would it?
- Rand
I have been pwned because my
From the article:
;)
Then there are the thunder rods. Tossed down from orbit, these long and slender kinetic-energy devices use their own mass and very high velocity to create a destructive effect.
Lastly, for those looking for a celestial "big whopper" of a weapon, how about using natural meteoroids? Good-sized fireballs of metal could be sent to Earth, aimed at targets of choice. These impactors leave a nice crater.
so the only really reasonable weapons are basicly fancy hi tech names for dropping an anvil on the other guys head like they do in Looney Toons. Finally, my sig is appropriate
...and this lie crawls out of its mouth: 'I, the state, am the people.'
The Americans have already developed that weapon.
I have been pwned because my
Eric: *puff* so here we are again guys
Fez: Hey hey, let's play that game...joo know...where we think about ways to annihilate ourselves from space! *puff*
Kelso: Yeah! Annihilation! Cool! *puff*
Hyde: *puff* Ok - check this out - what if we like put LASERS up on satellites, and like, shoot people from space. Like in Star Wars!
Eric: Haha yeah! *puff* No no wait - what if we just toss junk down and let the kinetic energy gained through falling through earth's atmosphere yeild an inexpensive but highly destructive bomb!
Kelso: Like bowling balls!
Fez: Well, guys, what if we just divert asteroids that are already up there? You know not *all* of us have money for expensive space programs.
Eric: *puff* But...wait...what if something happens to our satellites?
Hyde: *puff* Like anti-satellites?
Fez: Aye...we need like anti-anti-satellites!
Kelso: I say we just drop conventional weapons - this sci fi stuff is too confusing.
Donna: *snorkle* Hahahah...You said balls!
It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
...is the use of orbital lasers for antiaircraft work (unless I just missed it). Reason being that if you can force an enemy airforce below 30k ft (9k m) you have an immense advantage in an airwar. (Below 30k feet the laser's beam tends to have too much in the way of atmospheric problems).
Another thing that startled me is that they are talking about using HF (hydrogen flouride) lasers. While definitely cheaper than DF (deuterium flouride), their atmospheric propogation sucks raw eggs.
Additionally, no mention of solid state lasers like the one Lawrence Livermore National Labs is developing for HELSTF is made. FEL's are, but they're slower going work than the SSL's seem to be.
Do you know why the road less traveled by is littered with the bones of the unwary?
lots of good pix here
6 5.htm
k . tml
f fice/body.htm 1 2^2^12^40,FF.html
http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/program/sbl.htm
a paper on SBL for missile defense
http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/program/docs/98-1
SBL fact sheet (PDF)
http://www.acq.osd.mil/bmdo/bmdolink/pdf/sbl.pdf
Missile Defense Agency homepage
http://www.acq.osd.mil/bmdo/bmdolink/html/bmdolin
other links
http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/md/sbl/
http://www.sbl.losangeles.af.mil/Divisions/FrontO
http://www.trw.com/presskits/detailinfo/0,1067,2_
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."