Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!kcarroll From: kcarroll@utzoo.UUCP (Kieran A. Carroll) Newsgroups: net.space Subject: Re: space station Message-ID: <3646@utzoo.UUCP> Date: Thu, 15-Mar-84 14:44:16 EST Article-I.D.: utzoo.3646 Posted: Thu Mar 15 14:44:16 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 15-Mar-84 14:44:16 EST References: <152@hocse.UUCP>, <3392@lanl-a.UUCP> Organization: U of Toronto Zoology Lines: 30 * In reference to the objection that space stations aren't >really< vulnerable: Hoo, boy, are you wrong! You say that satellite killers work only in LEO; not true, for them to work in higher orbits they need only be put on a larger booster. Besides which, the planned station is going to be in LEO anyhow, making your argument pointless. You say that the thick radiation shielding and electromagnetic meteor-replellors would make a station well- nigh invulnerable; those ideas are pure science-fiction, and don't represent the state of the art of space station manufacture at all well. A station would be built in a manner similar to the way Skylab was, with the thinnest possible structurally sound walls, to save weight, and with all kinds of necessary equipment (such as solar arrays and heat radiators) hanging off the sides. This would be very vulnerable to almost any sort of attack; thrown projrctiles, fragmentation bombs, laser or beam weapons, etc. Thick shielding will come with later stations, perhaps those hollowed out of asteroids. At present, however, we don't have any asteroids to work with. Lastly, you say that destroying a space station would be an act of war, and so wouldn't occur in these unstable times, for fear of setting off The Big One. Friend, the only reason the military would want to be on a space station, is so that they could use it during The Big One! If the Enemy were planning a war, and the US military had a satellite base, the Enemy wouldn't quail at shooting the station down, any more than they'd quail at shooting up a battleship or an air force base. How then would the fact of shooting up the station being an act of war, deter the Enemy from attacking the station during a war? Sheesh! -Kieran A. Carroll ...decvax!utzoo!kcarroll