It only has to go down. Powered, it would be pretty quick. (Merely "falling" would take about 4 hours, according to some estimates I browsed.)Bishop149 wrote:...I don't see how it would be especially more effective than an MIRV, shorter warning sure, but what realistically can you do in that 20 odd minutes anyway (a lot less if launched from a sub sitting off your coast).
"Minutes" matter and one can't be sure the needed people are standing by, ready to hit the "Big Red Button." IIRC, estimates are, at best, 18-20 minutes to realistically order a US Counterattack. (Those are publicized numbers.) ** Note - I now recall some mention of "12 minutes" being the fastest, realistic, response time. /notsureA counter attack can be initiated within minutes and extensive measures are in place to ensure THAT ability can't be removed by a first strike, even if the warning was zero. All such a weapon would a achieve is a reduction in the already tiny number of people that might be able to get to safety in time.
The one defensive advantage in the case of a satellite launch is that you will more quickly be able to tell where it is going to strike.
Not in 1967. And, today, it may not be that easy. It wouldn't likely be a LEO satellite. A more "clandestine" sneak-attack against such a sat might make it more vulnerable, though... It would also be realatively easy to shoot down . . . . a lot easier to eliminate than a silo anyway.
The whole Cold War weaponization was based on "we have something you don't or can't counter." At least, up until the point where pretty much everyone had figured out they suddenly had... too much.The reason such a weapon doesn't exist isn't the Outer Space Treaty, its a cost benefit ratio calculation, it just wouldn't be worth the effort.
Anyone daring to do such a thing would be shot out-of-hand... Though, people have proposed that very thing in order for us to mine asteriods. Mines are great and give us access to materials we couldn't otherwise get to. But, they don't hover over our heads. (Yes, I know the Moon does and we seem fine... for now.Edit: Hmmmm thinking about it the best way to place such a weapon would probably be in geosync. orbit in the optimal position to hit the target. It would be beyond the reach of all but the most determined efforts to shoot it down and you wouldn't ever have to re-position it . . . . BUT the trajectory and flight time of the missiles become rather long and complicated again. Also I'd imagine putting such a thing in such a place would be an immediate act of war. Like Cuba 10-fold.
)The ever-popularized, largely thanks to "Footfall" is a KI/E Satellite - Kinetic Bombardment. One doesn't need a messy asteroids, just drop small, really fast, somewhat dense rods on their heads.
