How can we know the types of the things other countries launch to space?

[Latcarf]

I think i got sidetracked. What i MEANT to say was:

An energy map of satellites in orbit would be totally cool.

[EvilotionCR2]

Well,if would North Korea put a giant Nuke in cca 400Km orbit,and detonate it above the USA,North Korea just won a war that didn't even start.

[magnemoe]

Well,if would North Korea put a giant Nuke in cca 400Km orbit,and detonate it above the USA,North Korea just won a war that didn't even start.

Result would be that the US gave NK an Ohio broadside. China and SK fight over the reminds.

EMP was never an huge part of the cold war strategy, and its easy to do with an ballistic missile. Balistic missiles require less delta-v than to put something in orbit. Also think an 400 km height strike will require an multi megaton bomb to be effective.

Yes you can launch something and then hide it, the X37 is the most known example. However if the Russians can track it will they tell? How many has the capability?

If you use it for an nuclear strike and the enemy could track it you are dead. If the US could not track it they would look at NK as primary suspect as ask them to prove they are innocent or they will be attacked. Sadam died as he was an US enemy and the US was pissed after 911,

[Kryten]

Well,if would North Korea put a giant Nuke in cca 400Km orbit,and detonate it above the USA,North Korea just won a war that didn't even start.

A) Military systems are EMP hardened

That would require a ~25MT nuke, not the easiest thing to build or launch

C) What would be the point?

[EvilotionCR2]

A) Military systems are EMP hardened

That would require a ~25MT nuke, not the easiest thing to build or launch

C) What would be the point?

Oh well,so I know now to not watch theese type of documents.

[Holo]

That makes me wonder - what if a country decided to detonate a space nuke? Would 1/3 of all the satellites be killed like they were back when someone tried it in the cold war?

[EvilotionCR2]

That makes me wonder - what if a country decided to detonate a space nuke? Would 1/3 of all the satellites be killed like they were back when someone tried it in the cold war?

That document I watched sayed that nuke explosions in space would be much bigger because there wouldn't be draged down by gravity and not (so) limited by atmosphere.

[Kryten]

What are these 'documents' exactly? Without an atmosphere you aren't going to get anything like an explosion, just a brief flash of gamma and neutron radiation.

[Rune]

What are these 'documents' exactly? Without an atmosphere you aren't going to get anything like an explosion, just a brief flash of gamma and neutron radiation.

Yup. Also, another common misconception: nuke-induced EMP's only happen inside the atmosphere. So nukes blowing in space don't fry electronics... unless they fry them with sheer radiation, and then they also fry the people close to them. Just in response to the "nuke at 400kms" comment.

[Nibb31]

Starfish Prime:

[Rune]

Starfish Prime:

Whoops! I guess it was magnetosphere, or a thinner atmosphere than I thought. The thing is the effect requires interaction with something else for it to happen, I'm a bit shaky on the details. Anyway, a nuke at 400 kms would intersect with the atmosphere and magnetosphere substantially anyhow...

Yup, checking the wiki confirms it is interaction with the magnetosphere. My bad.

Rune. I should double-check more.