China's Space Program News Thread
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TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
It's Thor Aka Rods from God A kinetic bombardment system.
The Idea has been floating around the US DOD for decades as a nonnuclear system You launch a Satilite loaded with high density metal rods like Tungsten. The Rod is launched and maneuvers into a trajectory and decelerate and enters the Atmosphere It's designed To fly in at high hyper sonic unpowered velocities and Deliver that velocity into a Target using It's Mass and velocity to the target. Although It doesn't in fact deliver
The First Image you attached I think Is recycled form a popular science article, and has no relation to the Diagram.
That's not new or a rail gun (at least the first one is not). That's a kinetic energy penetrator. I remember it from Project Thor and Pournelle. The popular nickname is "Rods from God". Basically its a tungsten rod (or similar) with no warhead and just a guidance system. The energy acquired from falling from orbit makes it tremendously destructive when it hits. If someone puts one of these in space, its a huge escalation.
Read more here:
They are discussing about finding new strategic weapons in wake of Thaad system. They are anticipating Thaad be deployed in Japan, Taiwan and Philippines forming arc which make China nuclear Weapons vulnerable.
This is one of strategic systems can be be an answer to Thaad surrounding China according to them.
This way No amount of early warning radar on earth can detect incoming strike.
It's actually alot cleaner than nuclear weapons.
I think they gonna do it. That's why you see them working in flurry regarding to the heavy lifting rocket. They gonna put alot of stuffs in space and the moon.
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TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
More tactical then strategic. that is the down side not as much bang for the buck a small nuke is actually more powerful A 6 meter rod coming in at Mach 10 is about equal to 7.2 tons of conventional explosive. but the rod it's self is 9 tons.
Is not loading a Rod but rather a Nuke. [If we look at your Diagram and assumung the object that is being compared to a J15 is the payload then the shape is more consistent with a warhead]... but this does two things first It's now a Fractional Orbital Bombardment System and violation of SALT II and would likely result in other nations deploying space based nuclear weapon platforms.
Skywatcher
Captain
China would be better off with some sort of mobile tube artillery (mounted on a DF-16 or DF-26 TEL chassis?) that fires hypersonic projects (doesn't have to be railguns, could even an electrothermal chemical gun) across the Taiwan Straits.
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
Remember Xi's speech in 2014 Where he called on Sharpening the offensive and defensive abilities of China. I'm not saying Don't be skeptical. but I am also not saying don't dismiss out of hand. I expect that the PLA is looking into every potential advantage it thinks it can get.
But I don't expect the Death star in my life time.
AssassinsMace
Lieutenant General
I don't think Beijing would want to take the heat being first putting weapons in space.
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