Opinion: A shadow war in space is heating up fast

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/11/30/space-race-china-david-thompson/

And a good companion piece:

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: U.S. Satellite Dependency

https://intpolicydigest.org/here-today-gone-tomorrow-u-s-satellite-dependency/

Good thing we started the Space Force. Everyone was laughing, until you really need that Space Shuttle Door Gunner.

my older brother worked on satellites and space bullets decades ago

he is a lot smarter than me

I was too busy chasing beer and women back then

I was too busy chasing beer and women back then

It is obvious you are not very fast! 

It is obvious you are not very fast! 

....
Speed is irrelevant if you look good.

Or if you got enough rope and beer.

Opinion: A shadow war in space is heating up fast

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/11/30/space-race-china-david-thompson/

And a good companion piece:

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: U.S. Satellite Dependency

https://intpolicydigest.org/here-today-gone-tomorrow-u-s-satellite-dependency/

Certainly is.  We depend on Satellites more than anybody realizes.
Not that I trust anything published by WA PO, but even stopped analog clocks are correct
twice per day.
Keep in mind everybody in the world depends on Satellites.
Not just Americans.
So such a war needs to be very accurate and clean to a level our technology hasn't yet reached.
Sure Satellites are easy to destroy, but what about all the small pieces of stuff moving like a shotgun blast
at several miles per second?
p=mv as I recall.
If you make that war choice you may give up your future capabilities.
Kind of like salting an enemies fields then realizing you need those fields to grow food.
Most people in the world aren't as dumb as Moslems.

 

In the 70's the USSR had a 23mm cannon mounted within their space station.
It was only fired once with the thrusters on to counter act the recoil.
The projectiles supposedly burned up in the atmosphere.
You can count on the communists to do all sorts of insane things.

https://hips.hearstapps.com/pop.h-cdn.co/assets/15/46/768x436/gallery-1447437561-render-left.jpg?resize=768:*

my older brother worked on satellites and space bullets decades ago

The cosmonauts did bring a firearm to space with them.  The reason is often when they land somewhere in no mans land Russia/Siberia, there are bears and stuff.  So guess enough cosmonauts got eaten where they thought a gun should be brought into space with them.

In the 70's the USSR had a 23mm cannon mounted within their space station.
It was only fired once with the thrusters on to counter act the recoil.
The projectiles supposedly burned up in the atmosphere.
You can count on the communists to do all sorts of insane things.

https://hips.hearstapps.com/pop.h-cdn.co/assets/15/46/768x436/gallery-1447437561-render-left.jpg?resize=768:*

Some Ruskie somewhere is wondering what else can we test in space that's cool.  Cause NASA is too uptight and won't allow the fun stuff to be done.