[operation clinton cleanup]

Who needs explosives? Just launch from a high enough altitude.


Rods from God

Rods from God are a space-based kinetic energy weapon that has been discussed since the early 1980s.

The system would consist of tandem satellites, one serving as a communications platform, the other carrying a number of tungsten rods, each up to 20 feet in length and 1 foot in diameter. These rods, which could be dropped on a target with as little as 15 minutes notice, would enter the Earth's atmosphere at a speed of 36,000 feet per second - about as fast as a meteor. Upon impact, the rod would be capable of producing all the effects of an earth-penetrating nuclear weapon, without any of the radioactive fallout. This type of weapon relies on kinetic energy, rather than high-explosives, to generate destructive force.

They would conceivably be particularly well adapted to penetrate hardened targets, such as underground nuclear facilities.

There are major difficulties involved. One of them is where to position the rods. They need to be high enough to deliver enough energy upon impact, but not so high that they vaporize in Earth's atmosphere. The other difficulty is the number of satellites that would be required to cover a material portion of the Earth.

[Final Authority]

A tungsten rod of dimensions you described weigh about 19100 lbs each. It would cost prohibitive to place such material in high orbit or to keep such material in place at low orbit.

That is precisely why such a plan is only on the drawing table and on somebodys wish list.