| Tango01 | 25 Apr 2015 4:01 p.m. PST |
"Earlier this month, at the annual Space Symposium, members of the US military quietly but clearly voiced their concern that war is coming to space. Soon after officials announced that the Pentagon is looking for $5.5 USD billion to build up its space defense systems by 2020, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James straight up admitted that, looking at the layout of modern space exploration, the US now believes it's facing new and evolving threats to everything it owns above earth.
"We need to be ready," James said, according to National Defense Magazine. 'We must prepare for the potentiality of conflict that might extend from earth one day into space."
This isn't just bluster from one corner of the government. This year, Congress urged the Secretary of Defense and Director of National Intelligence to start studying offensive space weapons in addition to defensive systems. The funds allocated for these studies weren't huge—but the very concept of openly pushing for space weaponization is an interesting developing…"
Full article here
link Amicalement
Armand |
| Coyotepunc and Hatshepsuut | 25 Apr 2015 4:38 p.m. PST |
China recently demonstrated that it can knock satellites down with ground based misiles. The American military is highly dependent on it's satellites. The American military planners know they need to be planning, and are probably asking themselves why they weren't doing so 20 years ago. |
| Mr Elmo | 25 Apr 2015 4:42 p.m. PST |
A space attack can always have a conventional response. As soon as Islamists come out of their caves and go to space, I'll worry. |
| Mako11 | 25 Apr 2015 4:51 p.m. PST |
I read a headline fairly recently which stated the Chinese could probably take out all our satellites, so hopefully we" have some backups ready, have the ability to take out their ASAT weaponry, or have some other, brilliant plans for surveillance (e.g. many long-range, long-duration, high-altitude, stealth drones). I suspect the Russians can do the same. |
| Rod I Robertson | 25 Apr 2015 4:55 p.m. PST |
No one would hear a thing! The UFO team led by Col. Stryker would win the war surrepticiously and we would all be oblivious, as we have been about the last three space wars.
Nanoo-nanoo! |
| 15mm and 28mm Fanatik | 25 Apr 2015 5:18 p.m. PST |
There would be lots of junk in space. |
| VonTed | 25 Apr 2015 5:27 p.m. PST |
This has been pretty common knowledge for about the last 30 years…. war in space in some form is just a matter of time |
| Cacique Caribe | 25 Apr 2015 5:29 p.m. PST |
We'll replace all our satellites overnight, using our vast fleet of supershuttles! Dan
PS. Can you still be called an astronaut if you can't get off the ground and up into space? |
| Mako11 | 25 Apr 2015 6:04 p.m. PST |
No, I think those guys are then referred to as Terranauts, and/or just sad they've had the rug pulled out from under them. |
| tuscaloosa | 25 Apr 2015 7:03 p.m. PST |
War in space, war in cyber, two more dimensions to spend taxpayer dollars on. Worst part is, neither of them can be done satisfactorily with miniature figures. |
| Coelacanth1938 | 25 Apr 2015 9:35 p.m. PST |
War on Mars between billionaires and their colonies should be considered. |
| Cacique Caribe | 25 Apr 2015 11:17 p.m. PST |
I've got it! If they are fortunate enough to find someone who will give them a ride, they're called American space taxi passengers. Seriously though, barring the creation of a mega corporation like Weyland Yutani or something … China is the only nation candidate the drive that the U.S. had back in the 60s and 70s. They seem to believe in a manifest destiny of their own and they have already proven willing to stake aggressive claims wherever they feel, regardless of international opinions. So I'm predicting that the first permanent lunar base will be built and staffed by China. The first people to land on Mars may be from China too. The U.S. may never again regain their status in space, so Mars' colonies will be mostly Chinese with some Russian ones here and there. Some missions there and back may have the occasional American passenger though. Dan |
| darthfozzywig | 26 Apr 2015 8:30 a.m. PST |
There would be lots of junk in space.
That's the scariest thing: some overzealous detonations and you can pretty much kiss any form of satellites goodbye for decades to come. |
| wminsing | 26 Apr 2015 8:50 a.m. PST |
For all the talk of ASAT capabilities there's been precious few test shots to show China or Russia have any ASAT weapons that actually *work*. So I suspect the Chinese (or Russians) have a wonderful satellite shoot-down rate in *theory* and in practice will be a whole other story. -Will |
| Cacique Caribe | 02 May 2015 11:09 a.m. PST |
Yeah, since 2007 China has already tested their capability to shoot down satellites: link Despite public outcry of the 2007 test, China's most recent test (that we know of) was in July of 2014: link All have been successful. Dan |
paints another of 