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On the one hand, yes of course anything that can remove space debris could be used to remove space non-debris, and so is in some sense a weapon. On the other h
by rossdavidh 8y ago
On the one hand, yes of course anything that can remove space debris could be used to remove space non-debris, and so is in some sense a weapon. On the other hand, space debris can also be used to remove space non-debris (i.e. collisions), and the more of it there is up there the more likely it is to happen, so the idea of space being all safe is more or less already gone. Cars are weapons, not only in the theoretical sense, but also in the sense that they have been used to kill people. It didn't prevent us from making and deploying cars. If there's enough space debris to be a problem, I guarantee you there will be space debris removal tools, in real production usage.
- deepsun 8y agoNo, I'm talking about official certifications and export controls. Cars are not certified as weapons. Space debris removal satellites are. I heard that even if your satellite is capable of just taking a picture of another satellite -- expect problems with military during pre-launch approval paperwork with FCC, and also during satellite operations (e.g. every single image from any satellite is classified by default, and must pass a de-classification process). EDIT: googled relevant documentation: US Munitions List: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=pt22.1.121#se22.1.121_11 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=pt22.1.121#se22.1... > *(2) Autonomously detect and track moving ground, airborne, missile, or space objects other than celestial bodies, in real-time using imaging, infrared, radar, or laser systems; and maybe other points around it are also applicable.