What we need is a good kinetic energy weapon, a precisely delivered tungsten rod 20’ long and 12” in diameter, delivered straight down on a target from orbit at at least Mach 25. The advantage is that there is no nuclear explosion, and most of the energy is delivered straight down, as opposed to blasting out in all directions.
This was first proposed back in the sixties as something to do with one of the early Atlas rocket designs that accelerated like a scalded cat and produced too many gees for anything the Air Force had at that time. They did a study on this very idea but it never went anywhere. Maybe we need to take another look.
We have the means for guidance and very accurate delivery, and propulsion is no problem. Launch that thing out of Vandenberg on the right ballistic arc about 2000 miles high, and it’s just a matter of figuring how fast it will be going when it hits, and whether it will stop before it hits lava...
Rods from God!
I seem to recall the issue was launch signature. Didn't want the Ruskies to think we were launching a MIRV tipped ICBM.
“What we need is a good kinetic energy weapon...”
Very interesting. There could also be ways to direct some of the energy laterally if needed. I wonder why this wasn’t pursued.
I think you might be referring to the Sprint missile which was bargained away during the SALT negotiations:
http://www.postwarv2.com/sprint/sprint.html
I’ve been hoping that we have a few racks of those in space ready to go. The Thor of President Reagan if you will.