In short, a preliminary investigation of orbital decay of SPS components from launch to geostationary orbit indicates that it is either insignificant or manageable with current procedures. Additional investigation will be conducted, particularly for launch and the components in low earth orbit as these become better defined. 1.2 How vulnerable is the SPS to partial or total destruction, especially the space segment? For example, do meteor showers pose any threat to the space segment? The principal area of concern about SPS satellite vulnerability has to do with overt military action. It is highly unlikely that terrorism could pose a direct threat to the satellite on orbit because of its inaccessibility. The threat of overt military action against the space segment — both satellite and ground-based control system — is real, although its execution would clearly constitute an act of war. Satellites with hunter-killer capability up to synchronous altitudes, if not operationally available today, could be in the near future. Although various hardening measures and self-defense provisions can be implemented, absolute protection of the satellite cannot be assured . The large scale of the satellite tends to make it somewhat less vulnerable than would be the case otherwise. The large size means that redundant subsystems can readily be provided, and indeed may be mandatory for reliability reasons. The high power level means that many paralleled (redundant) energy circuits can be used in the design. The large scale also means that substantial weapons are needed to do more than partially disable the satellite. It may turn out that because of this large size, the high orbital altitude and the fact of being in a space environment, nuclear weapons would be the only likely ones with a good probability of achieving assured destruction. Sabotage of the satellite is a rather unlikely threat. Although preparation of the components for the satellite gives ample opportunity for saboteurs because of the great quantities involved, the nature of the satellite is such that at later stages in its construction these opportunities become more restricted. Parts and materials are subjected to extensive inspection and testing because of their end use; this should be quite effective against sabotage. Also, the final assembly is done on orbit by operators who are necessarily carefully screened and selected.
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