3 ms·

The dream of some non-national space peace nation with everyone [metaphor warning]smoking peace pipes[/metaphor warning] is a nice fantasy. I'd like it to be th

The dream of some non-national space peace nation with everyone [metaphor warning]smoking peace pipes[/metaphor warning] is a nice fantasy. I'd like it to be the case, but if we can't do it on Earth, why would space, with far more difficult resource constraints (and therefore competition) have LESS conflict? Please. [metaphor warning]It's like VCs[/metaphor warning] to use HN mindthink, who will fund the trillions to get a functional space civs? Oh and they'll just [metaphor warning]kumbaya[/metaphor warning] and write off their massive investments with no controlling interest? As for the [metaphor warning]British Empire[/metaphor warning] or any other colonialism METAPHOR, at least there aren't [metaphor warning]indiginous tribes[/metaphor warning] that will be displaced, exploited, and exterminated. Size does matter with gravity wells. If you don't want to concede that, then you're arguing against very basic physics. The moon allows the instant deployment of a far larger force of weapons on demand than from Earth's surface. If you had a moon base, you could launch an army of battle satellites on short notice. It's basically drone warfare in space. Right now you have to predeploy your satellite flotilla and then the enemy just needs to deploy tracking H/K units. The moon has superior gravity well position to deploy a satellite and satellite killer army without launch windows, rocket and payload preparation, etc. Your deployments are very easily tracked, from launch to payload deployment, to orbit, with bounds on where that satellite will travel and how much delta-v it can have. The point is there is currently no political [metaphor warning]horse [/metaphor warning] to [metaphor warning]carry the water[/metaphor warning] of putting a functional economic base in space. Military supremacy is a very tantalizing motivation to provide a trillion dollars of funding, and there basically isn't any others [metaphor warning]on the table[/metaphor warning]. As for laser focusing, you are thinking like a small satellite designer would think who is constrained by launch capability. Moon military systems could have VERY LARGE lasers. Hell you could do simple space mirrors to achieve the desired effect, light delays be damned. I'll argue by metaphor if I want to.

eesmith 5y ago
The nuclear armed signatories of the Outer Space Treaty were not "smoking peace pipes" and chanting kumbaya. Antarctica isn't militarized, and it also has "difficult resource constraints". Guess they must have been passing around some good weed back then in the UN building. > you could launch an army of battle satellites on short notice You've changed the topic. I objected to your claim that a "moon base ... could effectively attack ... rockets attempting to reach orbit". It CANNOT. Those battle satellites would take two days to reach the Earth, giving plenty of time for rockets to reach orbit. > Moon military systems could have VERY LARGE lasers Looks like you got some of that good weed too. Your "could" requires magic pixie dust. If you're going to break the laws of physics, might as well have transporter beams too. A moon based laser CANNOT prevent a rocket reaching orbit if only because the rocket can launch from the other side of the planet. You are of course free to argue by metaphor. The metaphor of comparing modern military tactics to the age of sail, back when more powerful cannon made for a more powerful ship, is still fundamentally flawed.

eesmith 5y ago

The nuclear armed signatories of the Outer Space Treaty were not "smoking peace pipes" and chanting kumbaya. Antarctica isn't militarized, and it also has "difficult resource constraints". Guess they must have been passing around some good weed back then in the UN building. > you could launch an army of battle satellites on short notice You've changed the topic. I objected to your claim that a "moon base ... could effectively attack ... rockets attempting to reach orbit". It CANNOT. Those battle satellites would take two days to reach the Earth, giving plenty of time for rockets to reach orbit. > Moon military systems could have VERY LARGE lasers Looks like you got some of that good weed too. Your "could" requires magic pixie dust. If you're going to break the laws of physics, might as well have transporter beams too. A moon based laser CANNOT prevent a rocket reaching orbit if only because the rocket can launch from the other side of the planet. You are of course free to argue by metaphor. The metaphor of comparing modern military tactics to the age of sail, back when more powerful cannon made for a more powerful ship, is still fundamentally flawed.