Pangloss Posted May 18, 2005 Share Posted May 18, 2005 http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/18/business/18space.html?hp Apparently the US Air Force is asking for a Presidential National Security Directive to develop satellite weaponry which could be used to take out satellites of other countries. Weapons in space time. I dunno, I guess I can understand both sides of it, but it does seem like it will guarantee a space weapons race, whereas before we at least had a chance to prevent it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bascule Posted May 18, 2005 Share Posted May 18, 2005 Isn't this what MIRACL (a terrestrial megawatt laser) was for anyway? Perhaps the Air Force just has penis envy of the Navy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Demosthenes- Posted May 18, 2005 Share Posted May 18, 2005 Reminds me of "Star Wars" with Reagon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phi for All Posted May 18, 2005 Share Posted May 18, 2005 The mission will require new weapons, new space satellites, new ways of doing battle and, by some estimates, hundreds of billions of dollars.No unemployment for arms dealers. Yay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
husmusen Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 The mission will require new weapons, new space satellites, new ways of doing battle and, by some estimates, hundreds of billions of dollars. Which given that there is no real threat of space being conquered, or Osama bin Laden getting some kind of space program up is all utterly unnescessary. So that's hundreds of billions of dollars that could have been spent on childrens health and nutrition, research towards a cure for dementia, a cure for (the most common) cancers. Or novel means of peaceful conflict resolution. Personally I reckon the above would be a better use of it. Cheers. On a more serious note I suspect that the U.S. realises the strategic niceties of being able to take out a competitors comms satelites or better yet the credible threat to do so. I also think the Europeans are not blind to this, and will develop counter measures. The Chinese will either develop it, buy it, or steal it, and they'll sell to everyone else. So in the end a new stalemate results and 100's of Billions go down the shitter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phi for All Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 I also think the Europeans are not blind to this' date=' and will develop counter measures. The Chinese will either develop it, buy it, or steal it, and they'll sell to everyone else.[/quote']Indeed, and I'll bet this is mostly because of the threat of China overtaking our position in the world economy in the next decade or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reverse Posted May 20, 2005 Share Posted May 20, 2005 Starbucks and McDonalds have already taken over, Nations are so yesterday. Corporations are the new dynasties. Yay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YT2095 Posted May 20, 2005 Share Posted May 20, 2005 Hmm, Navy(US)... Lasers... SWANSONT you sly devil! http://www.scienceforums.net/forums/showthread.php?t=11179 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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