Table 4-2. Common Misperceptions Regarding SPS Vulnerability MISPERCEPTIONS REALITIES 1. A power satellite will decay 1. A disabled power satellite would continue to out of geosynchronous orbit drift in GEO. Due to small orbital perturbations, orbit and crash to Earth if it may contact other satellites, but it would its propulsion system is take thousands of years to decay from this very disabled. high orbit. 2. Any hit on the solar array 2. The solar array and the support structures of a power satellite will of power satellites can readily be designed result in the entire structure to be highly tolerant to damage, being ripped apart. 3. Blast damage in space is simi- 3. In a vacuum, there cannot be a compressionlar to that on Earth, so shock expansion wave emanating from an explosion, waves from a small explosion Shrapnel is the principal concern for non-nuclear can have devastating effects explosions in space, with blast entering into on large enclosed structures. consideration only for extreme proximity. 4. Spacecraft are easy to hit and 4. Intercept and kill in space is extremely kill, even with simple difficult with non-nuclear warheads. Very non-nuclear tactical rockets. sophisticated guidance and/or homing devices would be required, especially at GEO distances. To reach GEO would require staged rockets or launch from an orbital platform. Even in thirty years, only a small number of nations will have will have these capabilities. 5. A single small-caliber pro- 5. With proper design, shielding, and redundancy jectile, properly placed, can all SPS elements can be made reasonably disable any spacecraft or impervious to small-caliber projectiles. Space satellite in the Satellite vehicles will remain the most vulnerable. Power System. 6. All SPS elements (except 6. In the near term, the Earth’s atmosphere prethe rectenna) can be destroyed eludes such Earth-to-space threats because by a ground-based laser of dispersion and attentuation of high-energy located anywhere on Earth. laser beams and because of the relative ease of hardening space systems. Sensors in low Earth orbit, however, may remain vulnerable. 7. Space-based lasers are 7. The power supply and the large focusing mirror small objects which required for an operational laser weapon result would be easy to conceal in a sizeable package with certain characteristic and use with no advance external features. Thus the existence, location, warning. and ownership of such weapons would be well known before they reach operational status.
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