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Could you please spell out how would nuclear MAD stop working? The way I see it, the Mars base could be ignored for MAD purposes unless it's self sufficient an
by emiliobumachar 7y ago
Could you please spell out how would nuclear MAD stop working?
The way I see it, the Mars base could be ignored for MAD purposes unless it's self sufficient and large enough to be considered civilizational survival. By the point it can no longer be ignored, the other side will just aim a couple nukes at it - what will the colonists do, move the base in months?
(Also, tangentially, I don't think the whole transit time would apply to something expected to blow up on arrival. It doesn't need to slow down enough to land, just enough to survive plowing trough Mars' thin atmosphere before slamming extra hard on the ground. Heh, for a small enough base the attacker might skip the actual nuclear warhead altogether.)
- londons_explore 7y ago> what will the colonists do, move the base in months? Yes. If you knew that your city would be destroyed in 6 months, you'd build a new one elsewhere. People on earth don't have that privilege due to not having 6 months notice.
- jcranmer 7y agoHow long do you think it takes to build a city?
- est31 7y agoThe 6 months travel time are with current technology, and in a few decades we might be able to have better propulsion systems. It's like saying that keeping the MAD threat alive is expensive because you have to refuel those bombers that circle over the arctic... eventually you find better tech. Also, once the nuke rocket is near mars, it takes only a signal at light speed to re-direct it at whatever settlement you want to target.