LightningZ71 wrote:I suspect that the solution will be electromagnetically accelerated interceptors that are command guided. Think of a rail gun that can send a projectile against the incoming missile. The misdile maneuvers, so, for the few seconds its in the air, the projectile needs to be guided. It can't see bevause it has the same problem the hypersonic glide vehicle has, it can't see through the plasma of its own speed. It takes guidance from the firing system to its rear. It doesn't have to be at mach 10, just be quick enough to get to an intercept point in time. Given that its a solid object, the force of impact alone should be sufficient for a mission kill.
That would not be a cheap system.
Thank you. I think we are headed there. A separate possibility I somehow had a discussion in a very open forum when I was presenting designs of a civil electric rocket systems for small spacecraft was to develop safeguards against accidental deorbiting from VLEO amd LEO (I did!) . Only years later did I realize who had guided me in that pathway and found there were other unrelated but dedicated thinkers that wanted a constellation of "__________ platforms" on station , on orbit to be used precisely in the manner I wasn't supposed to.
So, sample use case would be to wait for an intercept opportunity and then issue orders to the appropriate squadron of "_____ platforms" with upcoming velocity and trajectory coverage and then command an intentional intercept maneuver to terminal or close proxmity when something woudl be detonated. Of course nine years ago I guessed the thought was to intercept unwanted ballostic missiles, and probably not agile hypersonic missiles - so I think it was a creative exercise then. But the thought concept may have already been taken to orbit., who knows what could be with interceptors (projectiles) descending from orbtial speed.
I am not involved. All my civilian firmware had code to prevent that to the best of my ability.
