Table 4-1. Possible Technological Means of Assault Against SPS MISSION AREA TECHNOLOGICAL ASSAULTS Force Delivery Physical contact o system mutilation o explosives (chemical and nuclear) o chemical and biological warfare (CBW) agents o radiological agents o boarding and takeover Standoff weapons o shadowing and beam blocking o nonexplosive projectiles o lasers o particle beam weapons o nuclear weapon effects C3I Electronic warfare Chaff deployment layers of the satellite. In thicker structures, shock waves initiated by this rapid energy deposition can propagate extensively, causing additional mechanical damage similar to that from blast effects. The term "extreme proximity" for nuclear warheads thus means distances of less than 10 or 20 kilometers in space. Obviously, any single space-based element of the Reference Design SPS can be totally destroyed by a nuclear warhead with a yield of less than one megaton, since the maximum length of the power satellite is 10.5 km. Chemical, biological, and radiological agents could be used to damage or incapacitate space-based elements of the SPS. They would be released in a confined space such as living and working quarters or inside electronic "black boxes," thus requiring surreptitious introduction of these agents. Since the radiation environment in space-based facilities would be monitored for purposes of personnel dosimetry, radiological agents would not remain undetected long enough to do much damage. It would be difficult to smuggle such agents through inspection inside shielding canisters without attracting attention to the high density of the shielding. Biological and chemical agents would thus be more likely to be used to attack SPS elements.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==