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US Finally Backs International Space "Code of Conduct"

Posted by samzenpus on from the space-rules dept.

coondoggie writes "Perhaps it was the concern that the nearly 14 ton Russian Mars probe would land smack-dab on the White House or maybe they just came to their senses, but the U.S. State Department today said it would indeed work with the European Union and other countries to develop a formal space code of conduct. Of particular concern is the growing amount of space trash and how the world can go about eliminating or controlling the problem. There is also the desire to keep space free of military weaponry."

6 of 116 comments (clear)

  1. Why do I have a hard time believing this ? by vikingpower · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "There is also the desire to keep space free of military weaponry"

    BOUAHAHAHA

    Sorry, had to catch my breath from laughing

    --
    Religous speak to God. Insane are spoken to by God. When all shut up, one can finally hear Shostakovich in peace
    1. Re:Why do I have a hard time believing this ? by azalin · · Score: 5, Funny

      "There is also the desire to keep space free of other nations military weaponry"

      BOUAHAHAHA

      Sorry, had to catch my breath from laughing

      Fixed that for you

    2. Re:Why do I have a hard time believing this ? by Rogerborg · · Score: 4, Informative

      Project Thor, it's hardly rocket science. I mean, it is rocket science, but it's not brain surgery. Unless they hit you in the head.

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      If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
    3. Re:Why do I have a hard time believing this ? by rtb61 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      The best anti-satellite weapon, a non-targeted rocket carrying high explosive and ten of thousands of titanium flechettes. Can't afford a high tech satellite weapons program, simply deny anyone else access to space. Fire off rocket after rocket until earth orbits are flooded with tens of millions flechettes all randomly orbiting until they take out 'all' available targets.

      This weapon is readily accessible to the most primitive space program, once deployed it can not currently be removed and is the ultimate leveller, as all countries space programs will be levelled at zero. Only way past it anti-gravity drive and heavily armoured space craft, quite the technology leap. Quite a few countries could already threaten all the worlds access in this manner, space blackmail a veritable earth orbit doomsday weapon.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    4. Re:Why do I have a hard time believing this ? by dragonhunter21 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Problem is, Thor is hilariously expensive. Doing some basic calculations, each kinetic rod strike (given the figures listed on Wikipedia) has an impact energy of around 10 tons of TNT. For the same cost of launching that amount of tungsten into orbit on the cheapest launcher available, you could buy 10 KT worth of JDAM with GPS guidance packages. Plus, the instant you launch it, everybody knows you have it- that plasma sheath is not exactly subtle, and radars would pick it up. Hard to pass off an object arriving at Mach 10 as "stealth bomber" without admitting that A) Project Thor is a Thing, or B) Aurora never got retired.

      --
      Sent from my CR-48
  2. So now by delta98 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    is a good time to decide that shitting in the same bowl we eat out of is a bad idea?