[ExI] Obama Transition Team Examining Space Solar Power

Kevin H kevin.l.holmes at gmail.com
Tue Dec 30 03:44:28 UTC 2008


On Mon, Dec 29, 2008 at 7:26 PM, spike <spike66 at att.net> wrote:

>
> It has been repeatedly demonstrated that lifting stuff to orbit is waaay
> more difficult than it appears to be.  Never mind all the super tricky
> station placing that satellites require, just the control systems
> engineering required to keep a rocket flying pointy end first is a daunting
> engineering problem.  It would surely require the cooperation of an actual
> government in the next twenty to fifty years.
>
> A secret launch is now completely impossible.  If a malicious group
> launched
> a counter-orbiting truckload of sand, that act is a declaration of war
> against every nation that has anything in LEO, which is a lotta smart,
> capable and mean countries, all of which have nukes and the means to
> deliver
> them to one's house if provoked.
>
> Attacking anything in GEO would be exceedingly and reassuringly difficult
> for a terrorist group, even a well funded one.
>
> spike
>

Is it possible to construct a laser or other beam weapon that can/could
disable a SPS (or other artificial satellite) in orbit?  If that's ruled
out, then I'm not worried.

But, if anything, a supremely vast supply of energy would *ease*
international tensions, not create them, at least in the long term.  Ideally
the current space powers would share their capabilities to assist in
launching SPS's for other countries; but realistically, if they don't, there
could be serious problems.  I just think it would be in everyone's interest
to share.

Kevin
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