Re: Spaaaaaace Patrol!

Nyrath the nearly wise wrote:

> I was reading the classic ISLANDS IN THE SKY (a collection of
> science fact articles from Analog Magazine)
> 
> There was a facinating article by Robert Zubrin entitled
> "Colonizing the Outer Solar System"
> 
> In it, he postulates that Mars can be helped along in terraforming
> by slamming a few ice asteroids into it.
> As it turns out, it requires much less energy to re-direct an
> asteroid in the outer solar system than it takes to re-direct
> one that is in the asteroid belt.  Simple orbital mechanics:
> asteroids in the outer solar system move more slowly.  So it requires 
> less delta-V to alter the orbit from a circular one to an 
> elliptical orbit.
> 
> However, if it is possible to beat a sword into a plowshare, it
certainly
> is possible to do the reverse.
> 
> Therefore, once such technology is in place, it is likely that all 
> space faring nations will have large fleets patrolling the asteroids
> of the outer solar system, to ensure that no rogue nation tries to
> aim one of those dinosaur killers at Earth.  And keeping all the
> enemy fleets honest.
> 
> The military always likes to control the high ground.

That assumes that we populate the outer solar system before we 
populate Mars (I don't think we'll drop asteroids on a populated Mars).

It is more likely that we will look to populate Mars in the near 
future.  In that case, all launch sites would be in easily observable 
locations.  It's is much easier to stop something outbound than to 
patrol an area that is, IIRC, larger than the area of the planetary 
system.

-- 

Jeff Miller
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