Timeline for Mostly realistic weapons to assault a planet from orbit
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
5 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 4, 2020 at 6:09 | comment | added | o.m. | @a4android, that analysis fits if the orbital weapon must be launched first. It does not apply if both ground and space weapons are in orbit and the ground weapons need to be soft-landed first. | |
| Aug 4, 2020 at 1:41 | comment | added | user4574 | Laser weapons are very hard to work with. They loose strength as they pass through the atmosphere. Also they are very hard to aim, both because atmospheric distortion will bend the beams, and because being off by even one degree may mean missing the target by miles. Additionally, heat from the laser can actually warp the mirrors/lenses which can de-focus the beam, or change its angle. | |
| Aug 3, 2020 at 16:53 | comment | added | o.m. | @Pelinore, that has actually been suggested by Nazi scientists, but it was utterly impractical (the main purpose of many Nazi "inventions" was to explain why the inventor was not toting a rifle at the eastern front; they did not have to be practical). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_gun | |
| Aug 3, 2020 at 16:21 | comment | added | Pelinore | Sounds silly I know but how about a giant orbital magnifying glass with an array of mirrors to direct sunlight through it :) | |
| Aug 3, 2020 at 15:09 | history | answered | o.m. | CC BY-SA 4.0 |