4.5 Vulnerabilities of Specific SPS Elements Identification of "soft spots" in the design is a key step in the iterative process of design: once these soft spots have been identified, suitable alterations can be made in the Reference System to overcome these deficiencies. More basically, this exercise illustrates the necessity of including vulnerability analysis as an integral part of the design process for any large, complex, and valuable system. Note that the Reference System was designed for study and analysis only; no attempt was made in its design to protect it from deliberate assault. 4.5.1 The Transportation System Earth launch facilities at Cape Canaveral are under the umbrella of the national territorial defense of the United States and thus are as safe from overt military attack by other countries as any other economic asset within the territorial limits of the United States. Due to the presence of highly flammable and explosive propellants, launch facilities are designed to withstand large explosions with minimal damage. Potential soft spots, however, are the propellant storage facilities themselves and pipelines delivering propellants to the launch facilities. Earth launch vehicles are vulnerable to attack by military forces, terrorists, or insurgents during propellant loading and during the early stages of ascent. Perimeter security at the launch facilities during these periods is especially important. Reentry is another critical phase of flight since relatively small injuries to these vehicles could result in total loss of the vehicle. Such injuries could be inflicted by antisatellite weaponry in low Earth orbit just after the vehicle had completed its deorbit burn and was irreversibly committed to reentry. If such an attack were detected, of course, it might constitute an act of war; depending on the international political climate at the time, however, a hostile nation might be willing to take the chance that the attack would remain undetected and that the loss of the vehicle would be attributed to a mechanical failure of unknown origin. Personnel Launch Vehicles (PLVs), Personnel Orbital Transfer Vehicles (POTVs) , and Sortie Vehicles (SVs) are vulnerable to hypervelocity pellets. The Cargo Orbital Transfer Vehicles (COTVs), as pointed out earlier, are highly vulnerable to electromagnetic pulses from nuclear detonations in space. The attitude sensors of all these space vehicles are vulnerable to laser weapons.
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