What would a tungsten rod from space?

The “rods from god” idea was a bundle of telephone-pole-size (20 feet long, 1 foot in diameter) tungsten rods, dropped from orbit, reaching a speed of up to 10 times the speed of sound. The rod itself would penetrate hundreds of feet into the Earth, destroying any potential hardened bunkers or secret underground sites.

Is orbital bombardment legal?

The fractional orbital bombardment system was phased out in January 1983 in compliance with the SALT II treaty of 1979, which, among other things, prohibited the deployment of systems capable of placing weapons of mass destruction in such a partial orbit.

Is kinetic bombardment legal?

The system is prohibited by neither the Outer Space Treaty nor the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. The idea is that the weapon would inflict damage because it moves at orbital velocities, at least 9 kilometers per second.

Can a laser shoot down a hypersonic missile?

While global and regional interceptor-based defense systems won’t become obsolete overnight, they may be complemented by numerous directed-energy point defense weapons such as lasers that can shoot down missile volleys, drones, and hypersonics in their terminal flight stage.

Is war in space legal?

International Law Studies Article III of the Outer Space Treaty makes it clear that international law, including weapons law, applies in outer space.

Are satellite weapons illegal?

There is no ban on air-, ground-, or conventional space-based anti-satellite or anti-missile weapons.

What is a tungsten rod rocket?

Typical depictions of the tactic are of a satellite containing a magazine of tungsten rods and a directional thrust system. When a strike is ordered, the launch vehicle brakes one of the rods out of its orbit and into a suborbital trajectory that intersects the target.

What is a tungsten rod strike?

The concept originated during the Cold War . Typical depictions of the tactic are of a satellite containing a magazine of tungsten rods and a directional thrust system. When a strike is ordered, the launch vehicle brakes one of the rods out of its orbit and into a suborbital trajectory that intersects the target.

How long is a tungsten rod?

A system described in the 2003 United States Air Force report was that of 20-foot-long (6.1 m), 1-foot-diameter (0.30 m) tungsten rods that are satellite-controlled and have global strike capability, with impact speeds of Mach 10.

Did the US ever look at tungsten rod kinetic energy weapons?

The US Air Force and Navy looked closely at tungsten rod kinetic energy weapons on several occasions. A 47 page Congressional Research Bureau report Conventional Prompt Global Strike and Long-Range Ballistic Missiles: Background and Issues was written by Amy F. Woolf, Specialist in Nuclear Weapons Policy.