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To mangle an old saying: A sufficiently advanced space program is indistinguishable from an intercontinental ballistic missile program.
by sdenton4 5y ago
To mangle an old saying:
A sufficiently advanced space program is indistinguishable from an intercontinental ballistic missile program.
- ben_w 5y agoAnd to quote a different famous author: "A reaction drive's efficiency as a weapon is in direct proportion to its efficiency as a drive."
- jandrese 5y agoThis is also why it is silly to even consider defense against a hostile alien threat that arrives in our solar system. If they have a spacecraft capable of crossing interstellar distances then wiping out all life on Earth without warning is a trivial problem.
- KineticLensman 5y agoDon't get me started on the aliens in Harry Turtledove's WorldWar alt history. Being completely genre-naïve, they cross interstellar space and then proceed to fight WWII-era earthlings with approx F22-level technology and not unsurprisingly get bogged down in a stupid attritional war. Why didn't they just drop rocks on us from orbit?
- sq_ 5y agoAh, the good ol' Kzinti Lesson [0]. [0] http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/spacegunexotic.php#id--Propulsion_Systems http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/spacegunexotic....
- b0tzzzzzzman 5y agoIts a bit old, but amazing for some history of the modern system around Space. The New Ocean by William R. Burrows. Talks about the intentional setup for NASA TO be a 'civilian agency' and not military.