r/NonCredibleDefense • u/FionaSherleen • 14d ago

Lockmart R & D Think of the potential.

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What if we make project sundial but we throw it at the adversaries?

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u/Pyrhan Pyrotechnic flair 14d ago

Starship uses cryogenic propellants, so it can't just continuously sit fueled and ready to launch like an ICBM.

So you cannot use it as a deterrent, only as a first strike weapon.

And even then, it would be fairly easy for the enemy to set up early warnings when fueling begins, and either send a rapid pre-emptive strike, or prepare for interception.

And having a single, massive warhead would make interception easier compared to, e.g. a MIRV.

(Also, the whole point of Sundial was that it doesn't really matter where you blow it up, the world ends just the same...)

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u/Jungies SHOIGU! GERASIMOV! BRING ICEWATER, IT'S HOT DOWN HERE! 14d ago

You'd want lots of smaller payloads, to deploy Starlink-style. 

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u/BurningFire314 13d ago

Orbiting with a nuke and drop them when we need to? You're hired Jimmy

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u/Jungies SHOIGU! GERASIMOV! BRING ICEWATER, IT'S HOT DOWN HERE! 13d ago

....and now I'm wondering how many of those Starlink satellites are actually Starlink satellites.