https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_bombardment
These are satellite weapons that shoot rods from space directly into the earth.
A visualisation on Mass Drivers from Babylon 5
Ha is this a joke? Or are you teasing me?
The idea if KEWs is quite old in sci-fi, from depleted uranium rods to lumps of rock, and features in one of Gregg Bear's books, "Mariposa" IIRC, where it is a US sattelite weapon used against terrorists in Mecca.
Tailorable from "micro-strikes" to larger ones from existing possible technology or near extinction events if you have space ships to gather big enough rocks to throw!
Not sure how practical it is in fact though, but would rather such be used than tactical or strategic nuclear weapons.
Quote from: Gloucester on November 04, 2016, 10:17:33 AM
The idea if KEWs is quite old in sci-fi, from depleted uranium rods to lumps of rock, and features in one of Gregg Bear's books, "Mariposa" IIRC, where it is a US sattelite weapon used against terrorists in Mecca.
Yes, it goes back to at least Heinlein's
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966) if not before.
Niven and Pournelle used them in "Footfall". I think they called them "crowbars". From a technology perspective, I'd use land based rockets instead. It costs cubic money to put something in orbit. Once there, orbital maneuvering even from station keeping will eventually use the Attitude Control System's fuel. Unless refueling is a viable option- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotic_Refueling_Mission the system then becomes useless. Magnetic torquers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetorquer are a possibility for attitude control that could extend the life of the spacecraft.
You'd have to have a lot of them, because
A) a quick response time requires a low earth orbit (LEO), and of
B) the limited view of the earth from LEO for a particular strike zone
Quote from: Apathy on November 04, 2016, 09:19:32 AM
Ha is this a joke? Or are you teasing me?
Why would it be either?
Quote from: Tank on November 04, 2016, 08:49:11 PM
Quote from: Apathy on November 04, 2016, 09:19:32 AM
Ha is this a joke? Or are you teasing me?
Why would it be either?
I was in a situation with harsh people right before I posted that, so some of that carried over to what I perceived was going on with your post. But guessing from your response, it was not either a joke or a tease.
Quote from: Apathy on November 04, 2016, 08:56:54 PM
Quote from: Tank on November 04, 2016, 08:49:11 PM
Quote from: Apathy on November 04, 2016, 09:19:32 AM
Ha is this a joke? Or are you teasing me?
Why would it be either?
I was in a situation with harsh people right before I posted that, so some of that carried over to what I perceived was going on at the time. But guessing from your response, it was not either a joke or a tease.
Quite so. I just thought you'd like to see the mass drivers.
Quote from: Tank on November 04, 2016, 09:01:19 PM
Quote from: Apathy on November 04, 2016, 08:56:54 PM
Quote from: Tank on November 04, 2016, 08:49:11 PM
Quote from: Apathy on November 04, 2016, 09:19:32 AM
Ha is this a joke? Or are you teasing me?
Why would it be either?
I was in a situation with harsh people right before I posted that, so some of that carried over to what I perceived was going on at the time. But guessing from your response, it was not either a joke or a tease.
Quite so. I just thought you'd like to see the mass drivers.
Oh yes it reminded me that I wanted to post a video of a simulation from a simulator but then changed my mind. When you responded, I reconsidered.
Anyways, here is a simulation of what (I'm guessing) is improvised "rods from god" used in the simulator "Kerbal Space Program".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0zkhQFHNac
The way they acquired the satellite is through a mod for the game.