Is ISS safe from land/air based attacks?

[syndroma]

Energia goes vertical

 

[qso1]

Outstanding image. This is the very first one too. Then again, only two of these beasts ever flew. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[j05h]

Thanks for the Energia/Polyus picture! Fantastic! I think this is the first pic I've seen of the actual Polyus.<br /><br />Polyus had a real ASAT capability: a space-rated 20mm cannon. It's to bad the bird failed to reach orbit, it could have really pushed the evolution of space stations through the late 1980s-90s. There would have been a lot more pressure on Reagan and Bush 41 to expand US activities with Armed Communist Spaceships in orbit.<br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

Remember that Polyus was an asymmetric response to Ragan's Star Wars fantasies in the first place.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[j05h]

> Remember that Polyus was an asymmetric response to Ragan's Star Wars fantasies in the first place. <br /><br />Absolutely. And if we'd kept the fantasy going for a few more decades we might already be on Mars! 8) I talk a lot about private space development precisely because things like Star Wars, Polyus, SEI and Space Station Freedom failed. I still think a station armed with a 20mm cannon is pretty cool.<br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[jamie_young]

Why would anyone want to shoot it down?

 

[PistolPete]

Why would someone want to ram planes into the World Trade Center or the Pentagon? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><em>So, again we are defeated. This victory belongs to the farmers, not us.</em></p><p><strong>-Kambei Shimada from the movie Seven Samurai</strong></p> </div>

 

[qso1]

Its probably already been covered here but the only nations capable of bringing down the station would be space capable nations. Several of those but then you have to narrow it down to which one can and has actually developed an ASAT system and that would be the U.S. and former Soviet Union. The Soviet ASAT programs fell into dissarray after the Soviet Unions collapse. Russia may still have ASAT research going on but the ISS is partly funded and operated by Russia.<br /><br />An ASAT system is the only type of weapon that has the range and capability to bring down a space based target.<br /><br />Londo_Mollari:<br />I believe it is still not possible for terrorist organizations to fire such missiles at the stations, but are we taking necessary pre-cautions?<br /><br />Me:<br />I'd have to say thats correct for now and the foreseeable future. Not only that, such an attack has little value for terrorism because the body count (Please understand my terminology here, insensitivity to astronauts not intentional) would be too low for them. If they brough ISS down somehow, part of the U.S. would probably cheer. That part that thinks human spaceflights a waste would maybe grieve for the astronauts but be glad human spaceflight was finally shut down.<br /><br />This would undermine the terrorists reason for bringing down ISS. Terrorists are looking for high value targets in terms of maximum effectiveness on both human and economical costs.<br /><br />No known reasonable measures can be taken. The SDI research showed how easily sophisticated spacecraft can be destroyed with crude countermeasures. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[strandedonearth]

The most effective space-terror attack would be to release a load of ball-bearings into a reverse GEO orbit, thereby destroying all GEO-based communications, and greatly angering millions of DirecTV customers. Don't think that would affect GPS though...

 

[oscar1]

Bear with me, I do not aim to criticize your [indeed interesting] question, but don't you think that we may be doing some 'think tank work' for terrorists here?

 

[qso1]

Now you just gotta get them up as cheaply as possible. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[qso1]

Do have to be careful not to get too detailed in any feasible concepts. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[baktothemoon]

"Bear with me, I do not aim to criticize your [indeed interesting] question, but don't you think that we may be doing some 'think tank work' for terrorists here?'<br /><br />They can think up of anything they want, without hardware it's just an empty threat.

 

[londo_mollari]

I just hope that NASA, Russians,ESA and the rest of partners are taking neccessary safety measures and that they have planned to attach some kind of defensive measures (eg. radars, lasers, anti-rocket counter measures etc.) on to the ISS. So much work, money and our hopes went into it, I just hope its safe. <br /><br />P.S. I hope they pick those paying tourists to ISS carefully.

 

[nyarlathotep]

>"but don't you think that we may be doing some 'think tank work' for terrorists here?"<br /><br />If terrorists have the capabilty to boost payloads to GEO, ballbearings are the LEAST of our problems.<br /><br />As far as ISS countermeasures, I can't think of any which would be effective against an ASAT system short of putting Russians and Iranians aboard the station.

 

[qso1]

I'd say any safety measures would be most effectively directed at crew screening. The more likely terrorist attack on ISS would be a suicide astronaut (Suinaut?) rather than ground or air launched missiles. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[baktothemoon]

That or sneak a crate of snakes onto a soyuz, "Snakes on ISS!"

 

[PistolPete]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I'm tired of these <i>**Deliberate bypassing of the profanity filter deleted**</i>snakes on this <i>**Deliberate bypassing of the profanity filter deleted**</i>space station! <img src="/images/icons/mad.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><em>So, again we are defeated. This victory belongs to the farmers, not us.</em></p><p><strong>-Kambei Shimada from the movie Seven Samurai</strong></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

I thought I'd heard that before <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

Considering how carefully spacefarers are selected I think this is unlikely in the extreme.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

I don't know about that. Don't the Russians first examine your bank records <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------- </p><p>Wanna see this site looking like the old SDC uplink?</p><p>Go here to see how: <strong>SDC Eye saver </strong>  </p> </div>

 

[londo_mollari]

In all honesty we should have Steven Seagal or Chuck Norris on the ISS to provide protection. Mix of their brute strength, skills and experience would be enough to protect the ISS from both rocket based attacks or from terrorists taking over ISS. <br />Of course Bruce Willis and Stalone should be on stand- by in case of emergency.

 

[PistolPete]

Not to mention that the funk of bad actor alone would repel all but the most hardened attacker. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><em>So, again we are defeated. This victory belongs to the farmers, not us.</em></p><p><strong>-Kambei Shimada from the movie Seven Samurai</strong></p> </div>

 

[j05h]

> In all honesty we should have Steven Seagal or Chuck Norris on the ISS to provide protection. <br /><br />Dude, Chuck Norris doesn't need a space station. He just holds his breath. <br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[scottb50]

I'm surprised there hasn't been a backlash to having an Iranian at the ISS. If she takes control and can hold off attackers for 5-10 years they might be able to use the ISS to threaten the World with their Nukes. <br /><br />Somebody call Dick, there has to be at least a 1% chance that could happen. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>