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I think it’s naive to think the X-37 doesn’t have the capability to be used a weapon. A spacecraft able to stay in orbit for years with the ability to hide its
by guhidalg 6y ago
I think it’s naive to think the X-37 doesn’t have the capability to be used a weapon. A spacecraft able to stay in orbit for years with the ability to hide its payload from observers we must assume is carrying something onboard that can be considered a weapon.
- cryptonector 6y agoIt's overkill as an anti-sat sat. It'd be much cheaper to put up tons of anti-sat sats meant only for that purpose -- no need to reenter and land, no need for reusability, etc. The X-37 is obviously a military device, since they're the ones using it, and it may well be meant for servicing U.S. military sats, spying on others' sats, jamming them perhaps, or outright stealing them, and, yes, maybe destroying them, but again: there's no point using the X-37 for anti-sat purposes as it's too expensive for that.
- stainforth 6y agoWhy do we have all of this historical evidence about military purchasing and yet continued belief that current projects are all sensibly intended and operated?
- cryptonector 6y agoI didn't say the X-37B is used sensibly. I said it's not a practical and inexpensive anti-sat weapon. It's just not comparable.
- willcipriano 6y ago> or outright stealing them They took a page out of Blofeld's book. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Only_Live_Twice_(film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Only_Live_Twice_(film)
- enkid 6y agoOrbital dynamics means that literally anything in orbit could be an anti satellite weapon.
- guhidalg 6y agoYou’re technically correct, but I doubt deterrence is higher on SpaceX’s priority list than the USAF’s.