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Or just drag it into orbit under the guise of space mining, then drop large chunks of it on governments you don't like. Unstoppable once nudged into a drop. Com
by danjoc 10y ago
Or just drag it into orbit under the guise of space mining, then drop large chunks of it on governments you don't like. Unstoppable once nudged into a drop. Completely annihilate your enemies.
- nine_k 10y agoThe US had a military program like that: orbital "arrows" that would hit a target on surface in an unstoppable way. But a few literal kilotons is a different deal.
- CapitalistCartr 10y agoWe called it "Project Thor", or "Rods from God". Seriously. Phone poles made of tungsten. In orbit.
- candiodari 10y agoWhy tungsten ? The idea of warfare using "mass drivers" has been studied for quite a while. It means that the first nation to do this is essentially unstoppable and can destroy whatever they want. Including all life on earth. By contrast, for nuclear weapons, lots of people seem to believe that they can destroy all life on earth, or at least all animals, and they most definitely can't. They release lots of energy, but not enough. Mass drivers, however, are in fact capable of doing it.
- M_Grey 10y ago>Why tungsten? Dense. Great thermal properties, unlike say lead, steel, or iron which would burn up on re-entry. Kind of the ultimate fuck-you to the life when you think about it... ...First because of the obvious utility for anyone who has them, and is willing to use them as you say. Second, because it would cost sooooo much to lift those heavy bastards, their casing, and the fuel to keep them up there into orbit.
- bane 10y agoless melty
- danieltillett 10y agoAre we sure it is "had"? If I ever had such a weapon I would not give it up [1]. 1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_bombardment https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_bombardment
- danjoc 10y agoThe scary part in my mind is that the plan is for private enterprise. PHBs who would shank you mother for a quarterly profit.
- Dylan16807 10y agoDoing that is similar in many ways to a huge catapult. It can be done but explosives are much cheaper and easier.