'Rods From God'
President George Bush is expected to issue a directive in the next few weeks giving the US air force a green light for the development of space weapons, potentially triggering a new global arms race, it was reported yesterday. The new weapons being studied range from hunter-killer satellites to orbiting weapons using lasers, radio waves, or even dense metal tubes dropped from space by a weapon known as "Rods from God" on ground targets.
'Rods from God' - wtf?. But wait, there's more....
The "Rods from God" scheme would aim tungsten, titanium or uranium cylinders at targets on the ground from a position in low earth orbit. By the time they hit the earth they would be travelling at around 7,500mph , with the impact of a small nuclear warhead.
Stop me if I'm talking out of turn (I'm not, and you're wrong if you think I am), but they can't hit the 'right' (by this I mean 'intended') targets on the ground from a few kilometres away - how the hell are they going to do it with a big lump of metal dropped from SPACE. Additionally, this Laser they're talking about will cost an estimated $100m (around £55m) EVERY TIME IT IS FIRED.
Makes you wonder if GWB has gone one of the Star Wars Premiers and come away thinking it was a documentary...
'Rods from God' - wtf?. But wait, there's more....
The "Rods from God" scheme would aim tungsten, titanium or uranium cylinders at targets on the ground from a position in low earth orbit. By the time they hit the earth they would be travelling at around 7,500mph , with the impact of a small nuclear warhead.
Stop me if I'm talking out of turn (I'm not, and you're wrong if you think I am), but they can't hit the 'right' (by this I mean 'intended') targets on the ground from a few kilometres away - how the hell are they going to do it with a big lump of metal dropped from SPACE. Additionally, this Laser they're talking about will cost an estimated $100m (around £55m) EVERY TIME IT IS FIRED.
Makes you wonder if GWB has gone one of the Star Wars Premiers and come away thinking it was a documentary...