USA pwnz space..

[tw]

Originally Posted by JayMcGee

but where do you draw the line? Is this not veiled threat to Galileo ( the proposed European GPS system) ?

One first learns some basic details. For example, significant damage from the last Shuttle flight was from what? A paint chip? Litter means space becomes too dangerous for man or satellite. Space war is akin to nuclear war on earth - makes that environment unusable. It means, for example, the space shuttle can no longer fly. Space is now so dirty that the shuttle must fly to protect its windshield as the expense of its heat tiles. Warfare means 'a so clean orbital space' has massive debris.

'Throwing out cigarette butts' as we do on earth would have massive consequences in space. And yet those who again take an 'only we have the right' attitude cannot be bothered with such details.

Second, how does one tell the difference between a weapon and other satellites? In most cases, one does not. One assumes it must be a weapon and attack it just like Iraq. Preemption - fear - justifies action?