US continues to oppose space weapons ban

I thought that system was for pure kinetic power on ground emplacements? I even heard some ideas of having it magnetically accelerated first, which would make it a mass driver, albeit a very primitive one. Tungsten or Lead were the two proposed "bullets". How big would they be again? I forget.

Originally posted by Iblis
en.wikipedia.org...

Well it just says anywhere from the size of a crowbar to the size of a telephone pole, just long as its big enough so that it doesn't vaporize on re-entry. I doubt very much that lead was ever considered for this: it has far, far too low a melting point. I would think tungsten, depleted uranium, although from my materials experience, i would assume that it would be one of the two with a ceramic outer-skin to deflect heat since ceramics are our most heat-resistant material and comparably cheap to letting massive amounts of expensive tungsten and d.u. burn up upon a fast re-entry.

Excuse me, I need to make a slight correction, when I mean "bullet" i'm talkinga bout the core not the shell. I just thought it went without saying that it would be shielded, it is a basic assumption with these types of things.

Space Based Weapons would be great. They would be good for defending sattelites and the Mir Space Station from most threats.

They COULD be handy if there were any sort of Alien Opposition in the general vicinity of Earth, but who knows.

Also, IF needs be, they could be used for 'semi-silent' attacks upon Earth based targets in times of war.

The only problem I can see is the Monopolization of such weapons. Eventually there will be one group with such weapons and no way to stop them. That amount of power is extremely dangerous in the wrong hands, which it most certainly will be.

Then again, the world is turning to caa-caa anyway, just let the Yanks win and get it over with.

Thank you to all of you who gave a civil input. It has certainly opened my mind to the idea, somewhat. My only reservation is summed up quite beautifully by this part of the post above...

Originally posted by Unrealised
The only problem I can see is the Monopolization of such weapons. Eventually there will be one group with such weapons and no way to stop them. That amount of power is extremely dangerous in the wrong hands, which it most certainly will be.

Then again, the world is turning to caa-caa anyway, just let the Yanks win and get it over with.

...with that final para as my eventual feeling about the state of the world as it is. And by the way I perceive the powers that be in the US is acting right now I fear that they might be the wrong hands.

As much as I am pissed off by how they are going about with world affairs, I sincerely hope the US can once again become the shining beacon of hope to the world it once was to a lot of the world.

Otherwise my blue passport is just garbage. I'd rather stay here in this side of the world. I prefer not to be confined here.

hmm whats the alternative to american influence? russian influence? chinese influence? I really dont think it matters what administration is in power as EVERY US administration makes power moves, and power moves will always be made, the global scene is a chess game.

[edit on 14-12-2006 by ape]

True. Best not to think too much about it I suppose. Despite all the shortcomings of this administration, US influence is still somewhat preferable. At least to me it is.

Russia as my mom puts it, is a "Third World White Nation"

Originally posted by Blitz
I may be wrong here, but Im pretty sure we have had weapons in space since the "cold war". If im not mistaken there are satellites orbiting the earth, with nuclear weapons at the ready.

Some are equiped with Scalar weapons my friend. Forget slow ass missiles LOL.

Weapons wise I think the most likely weapon wouldbe a small mass driver the round would be spent uranium coated with silicon and a metal sheath. The shear kinetic impact from a round the sized of a golf ball would cause devastation and smaller rounds means more ammunition.

Originally posted by polanksi
It would kind of make a moon base unnecessary if we accepted a ban on weapons there. What about all the aliens that pose a threat, wouldn't space weapons be needed? I seem to recall that originally our space weapons were to face out anyways.

Yes, what about all of those evil "aliens" that have been posing a threat to, and destroying Earth for centuries! It is finally time to get back at them!

Yes, the need is urgent! Hasn't everyone seen the attacking aliens? We must weaponize the Omniverse before precious, peaceful Earth is destroyed forever, and we must not lose Our all important satellites, a.k.a. "the money makers". What would the zombies do without television?

*Complete and utter sarcasm*

Truth Is; there is no need to argue and fight.

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"I am a light in the darkness."

We are the light and the darkness; light creates darkness to know itself as "light", and darkness creates light to know itself as "dark". Yet Everything is light and Everything is dark because light is the shadow of dark and dark is the shadow of light.

There are no aliens; We are "they", they are Us

Harmony and Blessings of Obliterating All Of Space By Ourselves

"Here comes Earth!"

(just another way for Us to shoot/kill/fight Us)

[edit on 14-12-2006 by LastOutfiniteVoiceEternal]

Minor clarification: Wasn't the Mir discontinued, set into orbit, to disintegrate?

Originally posted by JamesMcMahn
Weapons wise I think the most likely weapon wouldbe a small mass driver the round would be spent uranium coated with silicon and a metal sheath. The shear kinetic impact from a round the sized of a golf ball would cause devastation and smaller rounds means more ammunition.

That's the sort of stuff I'm afraid of. I don't mind, I suppose, If the weapons were for shooting down low orbit targets, or some sort of weapon that can down whatever that's flying.

Ground bombardment, that scares me.

Originally posted by polanksi
It would kind of make a moon base unnecessary if we accepted a ban on weapons there. What about all the aliens that pose a threat, wouldn't space weapons be needed? I seem to recall that originally our space weapons were to face out anyways.

I think the chances of an alien invasion are slim at best. We're probably too primitive to consider, much like a certain group of people I won't mention so as not to offend, during the Roman empire (not Byzantine) days... they were savages with nothing to offer.

An alien microbe carried by a rogue meteor would be a different thing... but I won't really lose sleep over that either. If it happens it happens. However this is where outward facing weapons may be off use.

To blast incoming Armageddon asteroids or comets before it harms the Planet. Or at least try.

en.wikipedia.org...

The SALT II treaty (1979) prohibited the deployment of FOBS systems:

Each Party undertakes not to develop, test, or deploy:
(...)
(c) systems for placing into Earth orbit nuclear weapons or any other kind of weapons of mass destruction, including fractional orbital missiles;
The missile was phased out in January 1983 in compliance with this treaty.

if the USA wants to do this then the door is opened for russia to redeploy its FOBS - `rods from God` is a WMD so would be in breach of SALT II.

Woo Hoo I say buildem USA! Who ever controls the high ground controls the world!

Seriously though China really stepped up their space program. After witnessing what we done in Iraq the second time around. I mean the begining of the war not this crap were stuck in now. With GPS and smart weapons we can reach out and touch some one anywhere in the World at anytime. The draw backs are someone can detonate a EMP over the good ole U S of A and shut us down! Or fill a rocket with sand and detonate it in orbits that our sat's are in and poof were back in the 1800's.

The most economical weapon would be a mass driver located on the new US Moon base hurling the biggest chunks of moon rock. I'd only be real concerned if they decide to capture an asteroid of sufficient size to cause an extinction level event. They could drive into the earth or park it to close to the earth to disturb the tides and cause an artificial eclipse.

I believe you watch to many movies. Do you know how big a mass driver would have to be to even try somethin like that

A mass driver on the moon would be very effective. Remember no air friction to overcome, plus you'd be using the Earth's gravity to assist you. When the earth pulls in things from outer space they are traveling at nearly 7miles per second. A bullet traveling at that speed has more than 450k ft/lbs of thrust. If the rock is the right size and density, it will airburst like a nuke. Are we getting the sheer evil genius of my plan?!!!

Muuuu wahhhhaaa(evil laugh)

Originally posted by crgintx
The most economical weapon would be a mass driver located on the new US Moon base hurling the biggest chunks of moon rock. I'd only be real concerned if they decide to capture an asteroid of sufficient size to cause an extinction level event. They could drive into the earth or park it to close to the earth to disturb the tides and cause an artificial eclipse.

Yeah i am more scared of this happening too. With the war on terror coming they may plan on using this as the chaos and then bringing order with the new world order later. They could use the asteroid's collision into earth to cause a 2/3'ds of the planet to become extinct or even more of them to become extinct. Think of how deadly anything coming from space to hit on the earths surface would be like or think of the amount of kinetic energy the object would gain by floating in space.