Author Topic: History of Spacewepons: Russian Laser Satellites  (Read 3380 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Mel Vixen (OP)

  • Commander
  • *********
  • Posts: 315
  • Thanked: 1 times
History of Spacewepons: Russian Laser Satellites
« on: October 13, 2013, 08:52:58 AM »
Not new but a bit aurora related:

back in 1987 Russia was building actual "space weapons". The satellite, a massive 100ton Structure would have been armed with a turreted 1 Megawatt Co2 Laser capable of destroying US Satellites (which didnt exist at that time) and maybe missiles. Sadly/luckely the teststart went sour after a maneuvering failure of the tech demonstrator after it seperated from the energia Rocket.

Bear in mind that the ISS weights around 400 tons.  Rumor has it also that the ISS reboosting and generator component "Zarya" is indeed a sparepart of the Polyus unit.

further info here:
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-05/16/soviet-laser-satellite
http://www.espacial.org/images/jpg/polyus.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyus_%28spacecraft%29

Sadly the longer more detailed article from Ars technica isnt available anymore.
"Share and enjoy, journey to life with a plastic boy, or girl by your side, let your pal be your guide.  And when it brakes down or starts to annoy or grinds as it moves and gives you no joy cause its has eaten your hat and or had . . . "

- Damaged robot found on Sirius singing a flat 5th out of t