[AAR] Vengeance: A Journey To Space -- WARNING: IMAGE HEAVY

[Patupi]

What is a good design you can think up for defending against a kinetic-kill orbit-ground projectile?

How about a lazor satellite constellation to locate said projectiles and form a mesh of cross-crossing beams in it's path? Have to be in low orbit to avoid the mesh hitting ground (though they'd be set to diffuse after a certain distance to minimize out-range casualties), and need rapid updates of nearby satellites/ships to avoid hitting them. The up side is it would super heat the target way beyond re-entry heating to reduce any package into small enough debris that re-entry would deal with the rest (at Kerbin at any rate. Other planets are another matter! Duna's atmosphere would likely be too thin to absorb much so some small debris would get through)

The full constellation would likely be well over a hundred mini-sats, but only a group of the nearest ten would be needed per mesh instantiation. They'd need a very good comms and detection network to plot the incoming weapons fire, but given that they'd be pretty effective, and individually would be small target and difficult to lock on for counter attack. In close range attack however the individual weapons wouldn't pose much of a threat to any ship, and their armor is non-existent.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Patupi

[nianor]

What is a good design you can think up for defending against a kinetic-kill orbit-ground projectile?

Do you want to protect a certain area? Is it a mobile base we are defending? I would prefer more info.

[Mekan1k]

Do you want to protect a certain area? Is it a mobile base we are defending? I would prefer more info.

More info? Well, the SWARM likes orbital bombardment, and lazor targeting, so what we need is something to take out their ships (which act like kinetic-kill weapons due to their gravioli engine acceleration rates) as they are on inter let courses.

[nianor]

To defend with a craft that is in space, equip the targeted craft with a crapton of tiny SRBs with EVA seats and some sort of high power explosive on them. When the SWARM attacks, fire them all. It will appear, to their targeting scanners, like the ship turned into a small armada of ships. It will be nigh-impossible to pick out the right craft. And it also will destroy the SWARM ship if it picks the wrong one. To defend from the ground, if the SWARM have docking ports, dock a massive areobrake to them, or if you have KAS, attach it to their ship directly. If they enter the atmosphere, they will have a hard time gaining enough speed. They will also no longer have their thrusters aligned with the center of mass, and therefore lose control. If you need more practical solutions, respond.

Edited February 2, 2014 by nianor