Weaponization of orbital vehicles

[Scott Kenny]

Limited, yes...but no launch plume during hostilities, and an ASSET type bus can widen things a bit to either side. If filled with shot... that's enough of a spread for anything airborne to be in a ballistic footprint after the bus tacks a bit.

Anything smaller than a couple of kg will burn up on the way in.

 

[publiusr]

That's why I want it in an ASSET bus for a bit... maybe boron shot to take out light surface targets.

 

[Byeman]

Limited, yes...but no launch plume during hostilities, and an ASSET type bus can widen things a bit to either side. If filled with shot... that's enough of a spread for anything airborne to be in a ballistic footprint after the bus tacks a bit.

A re-entry body can do a rather violent turn if nothing living is in it.

Nonsensical .
a. ASSET wasn't very maneuverable
b. No RV is not going to be able to reach the northern hemisphere.*. Do you understand orbital mechanics?
C. Shot is nonsense. It either burns up or too low to spread out. Airborne targets? How does it know they are in the area, if at all? And what is going to do IFF?
D. Can't do a violent turn. It maybe high g's, but it isn't going to be tight.

* Actually, not even north of the -30 parallel. The only countries that orbit could hit are Chile, Argentina, South Africa and Australia.

 

[Byeman]

That's why I want it in an ASSET bus for a bit... maybe boron shot to take out light surface targets.

No, it burns up too

 

[publiusr]

Another reason for a precessing series of Molniya orbiting assets is to fill in the gaps.

With asteroid deflection you want a slight deviation to build...an inch to the side for every 400 km or something.

With a Molniya orbit, a slight thrust at or right after apogee can allow a strike from above to open that ground track path a bit more on its own.

Insert comet like orbit for Molniya--you are thinking North-South...but a comet like orbit need not be a polar orbit...

 

[Byeman]

Another reason for a precessing series of Molniya orbiting assets is to fill in the gaps.

With asteroid deflection you want a slight deviation to build...an inch to the side for every 400 km or something.

With a Molniya orbit, a slight thrust at or right after apogee can allow a strike from above to open that ground track path a bit more on its own.

Insert comet like orbit for Molniya--you are thinking North-South...but a comet like orbit need not be a polar orbit...

Just no. Again, there are no "gaps" to fill. The whole northern hemisphere is unreachable from a Molniya orbit. Look at the pic I posted. North America, Europe and Asia are unreachable.

A Molniya orbit is very specific. It is at an inclination of 63.4 degrees with an argument of perigee of 270 degrees, and an orbital period of 12 hours. Can't substitute for any parameter or it is not a Molniya.

And if you want to talk just highly elliptical orbits, they are still unusable for this
For a quick response from orbit, the following is required:
1. Orbit with inclinations that cover the areas to be targeted. That would be 70 degrees or higher.
2. Circular so that entry can be initiated from any point in the orbit
3. A repeating orbit that follows the same ground path (this is determined by altitude and inclination)
4. Multiple orbits in use for quicker response time
#2, 3 & 4 along with the number of weapons in orbit will determine response time.

The RVs need to be maneuverable and the bus needs delta V for off track targeting.

 

[dan_inbox]

Not sure this thread belongs to the Projects section.
Maybe more speculation or bar?

 

[Archibald]

Yep - I agree with the above.

 

[World B4]

Not sure this thread belongs to the Projects section.
Maybe more speculation or bar?

I posted it here because it’s reportedly a leaked suggestion by a certain former head of Roscosmos. I can’t verify it.

 

[Christopher Wang]

I don’t know if it counts, but what about the Titan IIIA? The Titan IIIA was more or less the Titan II ICBM fitted with the Transtage upper stage on top of the two core stages. Perhaps the Transtage could be modified to carry a post-boost vehicle with either a single or MIRV warheads?

 

[Byeman]

I don’t know if it counts, but what about the Titan IIIA? The Titan IIIA was more or less the Titan II ICBM fitted with the Transtage upper stage on top of the two core stages. Perhaps the Transtage could be modified to carry a post-boost vehicle with either a single or MIRV warheads?

No need to be modified. It is exactly what a PBV is.