Notes on Space, Satellites, and Survivability

Abstract

The satellites most at risk in the near term are sensors and the brilliant pebbles for boost-phase defense. The availability of countermeasures for kinetic energy anti- satellites (ASATs) tends to downgrade them. Space-based interceptors and lasers are even less effective. Space mines appear to be the dominant space-based threat. Their main advantages are simplicity and low mass. If they can be forced to use decoys or cannot discriminate, that advantage is lost. For fundamental reasons discrimination should become more robust in time and combined defenses should become more effective.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1991
Accession Number
ADA344782

Entities

People

  • G. H. Canavan

Organizations

  • Los Alamos National Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Altitude
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Cost Effectiveness
  • Directed Energy Weapons
  • Free Electrons
  • Governments
  • Ground Based
  • High Altitude
  • Kinetic Energy
  • Lasers
  • Neutral Particle Beams
  • Particle Beams
  • Reconnaissance
  • Space Based
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • Weapons

Readers

  • Missile Defense Systems.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Space
  • Space - Satellites
  • Space - Space Objects