Re: Further thoughts on hitting with lasers

>Our most accurate current similar pointy targetting devices *now* 
>I suppose are telescopes. I don't know how long it takes to lock onto a
small 
>fast moving target in earth orbit such as a satellite or MIR but
suspect its not 
>that easy?

Actually, with the proper systems, it shouldn't be that much of a
problem.
If you have a fast enough computer to analyze what you're tracking, a
sensitive enough detector, and a fast enough drive mechanism, you ought
to
be able to lock onto anything within your operating parameters.
Visual-type
telescopes (I'm assuming that's what you're referring to above) wouldn't
be
what you'd want, though. For the most part, their field is too
restricted.
Radar would be far preferable. Radar can cover an area of sky, and
report to
the computer where the targets are, which can tell whatever it needs to
tell
where something is. But you prolly already figured that bit out.  ;-)

While I don't have direct experience with them, I'm sure NORAD uses a
battery
of radars to keep track of the God-knows-how-many objects that are
floating
around in orbit up there, and I *think* they track things as small as a
quarter, maybe a bit smaller. Impossible to do visually.

Mk
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