Debris warfare in orbit: how to?

[MedwedianPresident]

Faction A has sent a large space station in equatorial orbit. Faction B wants to destroy it.

Method 1: To prevent detection, I will launch a debris bomb into retrograde orbit. The kinetic energy of the debris (I'll be using tens of oscar tanks or even just decouplers) will be enough to effectively destroy the station; however I can also use small bombs from BD armory. I will deploy the debris 10 to 20 kilometers prior to the nearest approach so that they will move enough to collide with anything in a radius of several hundred meters.If a vital module or a docking node is damaged, the station is pretty much broken.

Pros:

- large, variable action radius

- high probability of hit

- hard to detect; late detection; only seconds of time for counter-measures

- no good counter-measures except for modifying the position or the orbit of the station which may not be possible in the small time period

Cons:

- Orbit may be blocked for several hours until the debris will be far enough from eachother. If this is not desired, maybe a self-destruction system could be used, especially timed detonation for explosives.

- hard to execute (setting up the right retro-orbit may be hard)

- hard to time deployment of debris (Solution: staged deployment of debris in groups)

Method 2: Same as method 1, but I launch into the same orbit as the station, rendezvous with it (5-10 km) and then fire a booster to enter a collision trajectory while pointing at the target before deploying the debris or bombs.

Pros:

- more precise than method 1

- easier to execute

Cons:

- takes longer

- easier to detect and more time for counter-measures

- Modifying the orbit is possible due to the longer warning time. An intercept with missiles is possible.

Method 3: I rendezvous with the station and launch missiles.

Pros:

- easier and even more precise than method 2

- easier to execute as no manual control of missiles is needed in BD armory

- shorter warning time

Cons:

- BD countermeasures

Method 4: I rendezvous with the station or approach it quickly and detonate a Tsar Bomba from that add-on to BD armory.

Pros:

- Effective complete destruction or disassembly of the station; no survivors.

- less parts

Cons:

- heavier rocket (a Tsar Bomba is very big)

- debris may irradiate the orbit or the planet

What do you think of my methods? You can propose any improvements or your own mission profile here.

[jackboy900]

I would go with A, the tsara bomba wouldn't compare to the energy of two objects colliding at 4km/s with substantial mass and if you use colder engines (for IRL) and low heat, low reflectivity parts, nigh in impossible to detect.

[Greenspan]

Method 1 won't work, at least in KSP. Space is big, taking random shots with a few hundred objects means your going to miss. One in a million x1000 is still one in a thousand, your starting odds are worse than one in a million.

Edited November 6, 2015 by Greenspan

[luizopiloto]

Method 5... shot it with a Laser from ground...

[impwarhamer]

FYI, when attacking stuff in KSP, you have to be aware that a projectile travelling fast enough is unlikely to collide with another object, since in the space of one frame it will pass through it.

This pretty much takes out method 1, and is gonna make you want to be careful about your relative speeds for method 2.

[Spartwo]

Countermeasures don't work against stock weapons.

[FishInferno]

Method 1, just don't fling them out, try to keep a relativity small cluster, maybe a few hundred debris within a 2 kilometer radius

[The Optimist]

Fly right up to it, EVA jeb and make him crash into the solar panels.

[BlueCanary]

Why not shoot debris/missiles at it in such a way that the ones that miss will just crash into Kerbin afterwards?

[federicoaa]

you can shot a missile in ballistic approach, no need to orbit (although you need a good timing).

For this you don't need much delta v, just enough to go up.