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You don't need nukes for space weapons, kinetic bombardment will do just fine.
by kchoudhu 8y ago
You don't need nukes for space weapons, kinetic bombardment will do just fine.
- TeMPOraL 8y agoStill, there's no stealth in space, and neither the US nor Russia nor China will let you just assemble a kinetic bombardment vehicle in orbit. Things might get easier if humanity expands meaningfully beyond GEO.
- kchoudhu 8y agoNo assembly involved. You launch a 20 ton tungsten rod with minimal atmospheric steering ability to LEO. Deorbiting the rod to a target will result in a 0.1 kiloton impact, which due to the directional nature of the strike will be far more locally destructive than a nuclear weapon.
- TeMPOraL 8y agoThat's the reason you won't be able to launch it in the first place. A rocket with 20 ton to orbit capacity will attract scrutiny of other space-capable powers, and they will be within their right (moral as well as legal) to shoot it down if you insist on not cooperating and disclosing its payload. Also, even if you put a single "rod of God" in orbit, the moment you've threatened anybody with it, an attempt to shoot it down will be made. If you manage to drop it on someone, it'll only add extra mass murder charges onto your life sentence or execution.