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Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: A High Tech Maginot Line
Message-ID: <6219@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 12-Dec-85 13:03:25 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.6219
Posted: Thu Dec 12 13:03:25 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 12-Dec-85 13:03:25 EST
References: <8512020718.AA15110@s1-b.arpa>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 57

> > [SDI has a clear field, uncluttered with legitimate traffic]
> >
> Yeah, like Ariane launchers carrying communication satellites insured
> for $350 million by Western insurance carriers, or manned Soviet missions,
> or any other form of space commerce and recreation.

This brings up an interesting side issue, a reason why it is *important* for
the US to have operational antisatellite capability (!).  The main problem
with SDI is simply that it has to be able to cope with thousands of targets
simultaneously, spread over a wide area.  Opinions differ (to put it mildly!)
on whether it is possible to build a system capable of stopping a mass ICBM
launch completely, but everyone agrees that it's hard.  The problem gets a
lot simpler if the things come at you one at a time.  It would, at the very
least, take a lot of hardware to shield against ICBMs.  It would be much,
much easier to blockade a nation's spaceports.  So...

"The gangsters who rule America are bent on threatening the rest of the
Earth with their [insert dirty words as desired] 'Star Wars'.  Accordingly,
the peace-loving peoples of the Soviet Union have acted to prevent this
abomination.  The fiendish schemes of the imperialists rely heavily on placing
gigantic weapons in space.  To prevent this intolerable militarization of the
very heavens, the Soviet Union has constructed a network of 'PeaceShield'
satellites to police American space launches.  Henceforth no launch will
be permitted unless its payload has been inspected by Soviet experts.
Treacherous attempts at secret launches will be destroyed.

"No bar will be placed on peaceful launches which advance the interests of
all mankind.  The saber-rattling, death-dealing US Air Force will of course
be forbidden to launch any military payload.  The spy satellites used by the
CIA to eavesdrop on the world will not be allowed.  Fatuous claims that
certain payloads must not be inspected because of 'proprietary processes'
will be recognized as the imperialist lies that they are; inspection will
be thorough and complete.  In doubtful cases, a Soviet observer will ride
aboard the Shuttle to ensure the world's safety.

"The American 'Space Station', obviously intended for servicing space weapons,
will of course be discontinued as an unnecessary drain on the world's
resources.  Capitalist industrial activity in space will subject to strict
supervision to ensure that it complies with the 'Moon Treaty', guaranteeing
that the resources of space will not be monopolized by the fortunate few
for their private profit.

"To ensure that the Americans do not simply continue their warmongering ways
through their lackeys elsewhere, these rules will be extended to cover
European and Japanese space launches as soon as the necessary equipment
can be installed."

I'm not saying this is likely to happen, but it is just plausible enough to
be a little disturbing.

> And if you modify
> your system to spare what appears to be a manned Soviet launch, the
> Soviets will simply make all their ICBMs indistinguishable from manned
> launchers....

Uh, do let us know when the Soviets start launching manned missions several
hundred at a time...