Article

2017-09-09 Science & Technology

The Air Force's 'rods from god' could hit with the force a nuclear weapon ‐ but with no fallout

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Posted by Skidmark 2017-09-09 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11132 views ] Top

#1 1/2 em vee squared for the win, bitches!

Posted by SteveS 2017-09-09 01:00|| 2017-09-09 01:00|| Front Page Top

#2 Looks like the launch industry could be gearing up for this.

From Wikipedia,

As early as August 2014, media sources noted that the US launch market may have two competitive super-heavy launch vehicles available in the 2020s to launch payloads of 100 metric tons (220,000 lb) or more to low-Earth orbit. The US government is currently developing the Space Launch System (SLS), a heavy-lift launch vehicle for lifting very large payloads of 70 to 130 tonnes (150,000 to 290,000 lb) from Earth. On the commercial side, SpaceX is privately developing the Interplanetary Transport System, which is being designed to lift a 300 tonnes (660,000 lb) payload to Earth orbit in reusable mode, or 550 tonnes (1,210,000 lb) in expendable mode. SpaceX has played down the competitive aspect with SLS.

Posted by phil_b 2017-09-09 01:12|| 2017-09-09 01:12|| Front Page Top

#3 ...Not exactly.

'Lazy Dog' is another name for a flechette (in this case a slightly larger one), and they will NOT, repeat NOT go through 9 inches of concrete. They will thoroughly fu@k up any human/animal they hit, but that's it.

The 'rod from god' is a great theoretical idea, but we're actually talking about a piece of tungsten the size of a telephone pole in order to do any significant damage - and we're talking about a LOT of them to take out a city. In terms of a precision weapon to take out a single fortified/buried site, they have some promise, but the cost and complexity of getting them in orbit has so far been the main (and possibly permanent) stumbling block.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2017-09-09 09:22|| 2017-09-09 09:22|| Front Page Top

#4 Did we have an article recently about use of cast iron spikes dropped by both sides in WWI?

Posted by Shipman 2017-09-09 09:40|| 2017-09-09 09:40|| Front Page Top

#5 Solar System objects by size at this link

I prefer the 3km diameter near-earth asteroids.
Earth impact effects calculator at this link

Posted by 3dc 2017-09-09 11:25|| 2017-09-09 11:25|| Front Page Top

#6 Note that 100 Earths would fit inside Uranus. 101 if you relax

Posted by Frank G 2017-09-09 12:05|| 2017-09-09 12:05|| Front Page Top

#7 There will definitely be fallout. It just won't be radioactive

Posted by DonM 2017-09-09 13:35|| 2017-09-09 13:35|| Front Page Top

#8 Unless of course they hit a bank of centrafugi.

Posted by Skidmark 2017-09-09 18:53|| 2017-09-09 18:53|| Front Page Top

#9 Centrafuges