3 ms·
>I will believe it when I see it. Focusing that much light on a small moving object, through layered and moving air, with an intensity to burn through metal wou
by simplyaccont 5y ago
>I will believe it when I see it. Focusing that much light on a small moving object, through layered and moving air, with an intensity to burn through metal would be an achievement. Burning through enough of that metal to degrade a falling rocket (as opposed to during boost phase of flight) is even harder.
it's been working 20 years ago. it's just systems were too big. you needed 2-3 tracks to supply energy to laser system, and there were delays between shots.
>For all the talk about cost reduction, have a look at what realworld laser armor costs. Painting the nosecone of a rocket white, or coating it with reflective foil costs next to nothing but is remarkably effective.
doesn't work. nosecone it's small part of rocket, laser will target midsection probably. reflective foil won't help either as it needs to be designed to reflect specific wavelength of laser iirc
- sandworm101 5y agoAny foil will do, just as the JWST's sunshield is effective against all the wavelengths coming off the sun. Gold or silver is best, but aluminum foil from the grocery store is extremely reflective across all wavelengths we would call laser. Just giving the metal rocket a good polish would make a significant difference.
- simplyaccont 5y agothere is some difference, but I guess all the companies that sank billions into directed energy weapons missed that aluminum foil from shop can negate all their efforts
- weatherlite 5y agoI agree, as corrupt as some military industry can be, I highly doubt something dumb as aluminum foil can defeat the laser.
- chongli 5y agoAluminum foil reflects about 85% of visible light. Gold reflects 98% of visible light. Neither of these materials would be effective in protecting against a 100kW laser. That remaining 2% is 2kW of light energy directed at a small target. It’ll rapidly ablate the gold foil and then the target will begin to absorb the full power.
- awakeasleep 5y agoWouldnt the rocket continue moving towards its target during the ablation?
- chongli 5y agoThe goal of the laser is to destroy the electronic detonator inside the warhead. If the detonator is destroyed then the potential damage from the missile is reduced from catastrophic to manageable. With a 100 kW laser I think the whole process could happen in less than a second.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]