# Space Warfare



## a_majoor (12 Jan 2010)

Combar operations will likely migrate to space sooner than we think. China has claimed to have tested an ABM interceptor vehicle, India is announcing an ASAT and the United States has shot down a satellite from a shipborn weapon and operates one AMB squadron in Alaska and has the capabilities to set up a second squadron in Eastern Europe. Note too in the article where the real threat "may" come from (although there are current satellites capable of Direct Broadcast Service [DBS] which can communicate to portable ground terminals [AKA radio and telivision sets] without elaborate infrastructure. Another generation of satellites might see the introduction of sensitive receivers that don't need elaborate ground terminals for operations).

An interesting backgrounder:

http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=100604C



> *Space Warfare: On the Way?*
> 
> By Glenn Harlan Reynolds : BIO| 06 Oct 2004
> 
> ...


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## a_majoor (5 Apr 2010)

The first of a new generation of military spacecraft take to the sky:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100403/ap_on_sc/us_mystery_spacecraft



> *Air Force to launch robotic winged space plane*
> 
> By JOHN ANTCZAK, Associated Press Writer John Antczak, Associated Press Writer – Sat Apr 3, 7:47 pm ET
> 
> ...


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## a_majoor (23 Apr 2010)

Decreasing the time between launch and impact (and the links from sensor to shooter) is potentially very destabilizing. On the other hand, it provides capabilities that do not currently exist (and the idea of operational or even tactical firepower coming direct from the homeland rather than in theater would simplify other aspects like logistics and security of assets). Finding the right balance will be difficult, especially given the political implications:

http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2010/04/barack-obama-strangelove-backing-a-weapon-too-crazy-for-bushcheney.html



> *Barack Obama Strangelove Backing A Weapon Too Crazy For Bush/Cheney*
> 
> The NY Times continues to present the Administration spin in favor of reducing our nuclear arsenal.  Part of the rationale was that our conventional weapons, such as smart bombs and cruise missile, are much more accurate and powerful.  Fair enough.  But today the Times describes a weapons system so laughably destabilizing that Bush and Cheney took a pass:
> 
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## a_majoor (25 May 2010)

More on the X-37 program:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/science/space/23secret.html?hp=&pagewanted=all



> *Surveillance Suspected as Spacecraft’s Main Role*
> By WILLIAM J. BROAD
> Published: May 21, 2010
> 
> ...


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## a_majoor (24 Sep 2010)

Tiny satellites with limited functionality and orbital duration could be useful in a tactical scenario ("surging" space assets to support an operation and supply extra bandwidth or observational capacity). The gun launcher has other uses as well...

http://nextbigfuture.com/2010/09/quicklaunch-cubesats-and-open-source.html#more



> *Quicklaunch, Cubesats and Open Source Satellite Initiative*
> 
> The basic idea of Quicklaunch is that you launch a projectile from a cannon at 6 kilometers per second using compressed hydrogen gas. On a conventional rocket, the payload fraction is about 3%, whereas with our concept the payload is more than 20%. For just $12 million in funding they could be launching cube satellites into orbit by 2013. It currently costs about $100,000 to launch a cubesat. A working cannon launcher could bring the cost down to a few thousand dollars.
> 
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## a_majoor (4 Feb 2011)

Wikileaks strikes again:

http://technologyreview.com/blog/deltav/26344/?p1=Blogs



> *Wikileaks Hints at U.S. and China Space Weapon Showdown *
> Documents released today show that anti-satellite tests may have been a show of military strength.
> 
> Brittany Sauser 02/03/2011
> ...


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## a_majoor (27 Jan 2013)

Being able to service and maintain space assets has some pretty huge implications, and Canada leads the way with a very versatile robotic arm and hand combination:

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/01/27/canadas-dextre-robot-passes-first-of-a-kind-test-to-refuel-satellites-in-space/



> *Canada’s Dextre robot passes first-of-a-kind test to refuel satellites in space*
> 
> National Post Staff | Jan 27, 2013 6:32 PM ET | Last Updated: Jan 27, 2013 6:34 PM ET
> More from National Post Staff
> ...


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## a_majoor (3 Feb 2013)

I will need a lot of convincing, since this essentially violates the laws of physics as conventionally understood, but if it is true, then we have "Impulse" thrusters. Spaceshops zipping around with reactionless drives are a staple of Space Opera, although given the claimed output of this device we will be waiting a while before we can fight the Shadows.....

http://nextbigfuture.com/2013/02/experimental-null-test-of-mach-effect.html#more



> *Experimental Null Test of a Mach Effect Thruster*
> 
> The Mach Effect Thruster (MET) is a device which utilizes fluctuations in the rest masses of accelerating objects (capacitor stacks, in which internal energy changes take place) to produce a steady linear thrust. The theory has been given in detail elsewhere and references therein, so here we discuss only an experiment. We show how to obtain thrust using a heavy reaction mass at one end of our capacitor stack and a lighter end cap on the other. Then we show how this thrust can be eliminated by having two heavy masses at either end of the stack with a central mounting bracket. We show the same capacitor stack being used as a thruster and then eliminate the thrust by arranging equal brass masses on either end, so that essentially the capacitor stack is trying to push in both directions at once. This arrangement in theory would only allow for a small oscillation but no net thrust. We find the thrust does indeed disappear in the experiment, as predicted. The device (in thruster mode) could in principle be used for propulsion. Experimental apparatus based on a very sensitive thrust balance is briefly described. The experimental protocol employed to search for expected Mach effects is laid out, and the results of this experimental investigation are described.
> 
> ...


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## a_majoor (14 Feb 2013)

This article is a threat, a warning and an opportunity. The threat is unexpected impacts on Earth by space objects. Given the size and speed of these pieces of space rock, the impact will be about the scale and scope of a nuclear warhead exploding in the atmosphere or on the ground (it might take time to determine that it wasn't a nuclear weapon in the chaos that follows). The warning is there are far more of thes object close at hand than anyone had previously thought. 

The opportunity is that these can be reached and deflected with only a modest improvement in space capabilities, and are thought to have useable materials that can be extracted for further long term space operations (most simply water, followed by using the unprocessed material as radiation shielding) Follow the link for the diagrams:

http://earthsky.org/space/relative-positions-of-near-earth-asteroids-within-0-3-au



> Think Friday’s close asteroid flyby is sobering? Look at this
> Near-Earth asteroids via Scott Manley and Armagh Observatory
> 
> Objects within 0.3 AU of the Earth – or within about a third of Earth’s distance fromt the sun – today. From Armagh Observatory.
> ...


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## a_majoor (24 Feb 2013)

Lots of interesting pictures on the link (far more than can be posted). In principle this looks like the Hubble space telescope but pointed at the Earth. This is also several generations out of date, but no indication of what direction technology has gone to replace this (although as a guess I would point to the Boeing X-37 as a recoverable spacecraft with the ability to manoeuvre in orbit is where a useful recce satellite should be based):

http://www.onorbit.com/node/3850



> *KH-9 Hexagon Spy Satellite Makes a Rare Public Outing (Photos and Video)*
> 
> Submitted by keithcowing on Sat, 09/17/2011 - 11:01.
> 
> ...


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## a_majoor (15 Mar 2013)

European companies are working on a suborbital launch system. Since the "First Stage" is an A-300 jetliner, the system is potentially far more flexible in terms of choosing launch timings (no large rockets to assemble) and orbital inclination. This is a larger version of the air launched "Pegasus" system:

http://www.s-3.ch/mission-goals



> Our mission is to give access to space. We want to make space accessible through fast and recurrent access opportunities facilitating particularly science and in-orbit delivery. Thanks to our innovative launching system based on assembling the best of proven technologies, we will be able to serve our clients with excellence at highly competitive costs. Our aim is to democratize access to space by enabling emerging markets, countries, universities and research institutes to do what has not been possible for them up to now: deploy their own satellites.
> Goals
> Our objective is to develop, manufacture, certify and operate unmanned suborbital spaceplanes for small satellite deployment. The range of satellites we will be able to launch goes up to 250 kg small satellites. The start of the test flights is planned for 2017. In order to achieve this goal, we rely on the support of a worldwide network of internationally renowned partners and advisors, who all support S3 and trust our vision. While Swiss Space Systems - S3 is a new company, we benefit from decades of research, design, testing and implementation. Our partners and advisors will provide us with a know-how second to none and the best available technologies already developed and certified.
> 
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## a_majoor (12 Jan 2014)

Space navies have been a staple of SF for decades, this opinion piece is bound to spin a few heads right around:

https://medium.com/war-is-boring/740cf5a8e930



> *Let’s Kick the Air Force Out of Space*
> Robert Farley and Max Lord argue the Navy could, and should, take charge of orbital forces
> @drfarls in War is Boring
> 
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