The credibility of various postulated threats has been indicated using three tables, one each for ExS, SxE, and SxS (Tables 3-6, 3-7, and 3-8, at the end of this section. Each row of the tables is a "threat.” The columns of the tables indicate weapons, possible targets, time period, and remarks. In the SxE table, the term "vehicle" encompasses ground vehicles, ships, aircraft, and cruise missiles. In the SxS table, the term "spacecraft" refers to satellites, OTVs, and space bases (stations). If necessary to distinguish particular members of either set (vehicles or spacecraft), we refer to them specifically by name. 3.5 Threat/Safeguard Matrix The final step in the threat analysis was to examine each subsystem element of the SPS system and to identify the threats and corresponding safeguards applicable to that subelement. (For greater coherence of this discussion of military implications of SPS, we defer analysis of safeguards against SPS threats until Section 5.) The resulting threat/safeguard matrix for the SPS is shown in Table 3-9. Modification of Earth-to-LEO vehicles to enable them to be operated as hypersonic bombers or long-range military transports might be relatively easy if the space transportation system utilized single-state-to-orbit vehicles or vehicles with a flyback first stage. The small numbers of launch vehicles available, however, would prohibit their effective use in a significant strategic strike or to support a rapid deployment force. The LEO base and GEO construction bases could serve as ASAT carriers (AC) and as platforms to support Earth bombardment (EB). These potential force delivery capabilities apply to all subelements of both of these bases because these subelements may be individual structures which are merely colocated with one another. Considering the various military adapters in Table 3-9 which could be added to the basic SPS, we observe a range of enhanced military capabilities. We comment on only a few of these here. One simple type of weapon module which could be added to the power satellite is a phase control box which could control the SPS power beam, without a pilot beam from the ground, like a conventional phased array radar. This would make it possible to direct the beam toward enemy spacecraft or against Earth targets. Depending upon the actual design selected for the power satellites, it may or may not be feasible to actually construct such a phase control box.
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