A Preliminary Analysis of Space Blast
Abstract
Many people feel there is no blast capability of a weapon in the space environment of a vacuum. The purpose of this report is to clarify the thinking on this point, and to show that an explosive weapon operating in a vacuum would produce extensive damage due to blast-like effects. It is true that in a vacuum there will be no shock or air blast as would be experienced by a detonation of an explosive charge in air. But what happens is that the near- field effects zone, which is the zone directly affected by the explosion products, extends to infinity and all of the energy and momentum of the explosive remains in the products of the explosives until a target is encountered.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1978
- Accession Number
- ADA088219
Entities
People
- Robert G. Sewell
Organizations
- Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake