Most people (who've never had a class in Space Technology) think that we can park nukes in geostationary orbits right above targets.
Geo-stat sats are in ~24hr orbits above the equator, at ~22k miles out.
That's a long way to the target.
And they don't drop straight down.
Geo-stat sats are in ~24hr orbits above the equator, at ~22k miles out.
That's a long way to the target.
And they don't drop straight down.
It would take a HUGE de-orbit retrorocket to make it drop out of orbit, and it'd take a long time to fall, making the intercept kinda tedious and boring.
That's why nobody with ICBMs even bothers with the idea - It's STUPID.
REAL ICBMs are launched in suborbital trajectories.
That's why nobody with ICBMs even bothers with the idea - It's STUPID.
REAL ICBMs are launched in suborbital trajectories.
The most-efficient ICBM trajectories come right over the Arctic Circle, and don't have/need the speed to make it to orbit.
A normal Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) takes ~90 minutes to go all the way around the Earth. The Shuttle would typically fire its de-orbit burn over Australia.
A normal Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) takes ~90 minutes to go all the way around the Earth. The Shuttle would typically fire its de-orbit burn over Australia.
Note: Where you fire the de-orbit burn is on the other side of the world. You can't see the target.
When PUTIN showed a CGI cartoon of Florida being attacked from the south, THAT'S ALSO a stupid idea.
The nukes would get there sooner if launched over the Arctic Circle.
When PUTIN showed a CGI cartoon of Florida being attacked from the south, THAT'S ALSO a stupid idea.
The nukes would get there sooner if launched over the Arctic Circle.
And, yes, you can build Maneuvering Re-entry vehicles that can pull 100g's.
I know because I wrote the computer model the AF used to compare various designs submitted back in the '80s.
He's bragging about technology we had >30yrs ago.
100g's. Scary!
Is it faster than light?
I know because I wrote the computer model the AF used to compare various designs submitted back in the '80s.
He's bragging about technology we had >30yrs ago.
100g's. Scary!
Is it faster than light?
And this notion of Space Commandos would be really cool, if there were any terrorists in space.
That really *would* be a surprise attack, since all terrorists' targets are down here on the surface of the planet.
And there aren't any terrorist astronauts.
Hostile Space Bugs?
That really *would* be a surprise attack, since all terrorists' targets are down here on the surface of the planet.
And there aren't any terrorist astronauts.
Hostile Space Bugs?
I saw we nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.
@threadreaderapp unroll
