Vulnerability of Space Settlements to Attacks

--- Monart Pon wrote:
> Sparked by the recent terrorist attack on New York, a question was
> posed on another list, Starship Forum, about how much more vulnerable
> a space settlement would be to a hostile attack, from Earth or some
> other space settlements, and how it would just take one missile or one
> bomb to destroy an entire settlement -- it being a pressurize vessel
> in vacuum.

With about 2 metres of radiation shielding that would also function as low
strength, very thick Armour. Ultimately it depends on the nature of the
weapon. Chemical explosives aren't going to do much but Nuclear could wipe out
a settlement. Kinetic could cause some damage but it would probably be
survivable.

> Would anyone here provide an answer?
>
> My partial answer is that it would be safer for a space settlement
> at L5 than it would be for any city on Earth from terrorist or
> military attack, mainly because of the greater distance separating
> Earth and L5 than between any two cities on Earth. Long before a
> missile from a hostile force on Earth could reach L5, an L5-er would
> be able to blast it into the void, assuming the L5-ers have been
> prepared for such attacks. Besides, L5-ers would have the high ground:
> it would be easy to just "drop" big rocks on hostile Earth bases.

It would take a few days for a chemically propelled missile to reach L5, longer
if its electric and shorter if it is nuclear propelled. The distance wont stop
a bomb being smuggled to the station although El Al like security on all
transports to the settlement would be able to prevent that.

As for high ground it would be very easy for those at L5 to have a rock hit the
earth which would provide a very good deterant to earth not to attack although
terrorists probably wouldn't give a shit. Also earth would by that time have a
significant space presence and be able to put a rock on a collision course with
the settlement.

> But suppose a missile, a shuttle loaded with explosives, or a
> smuggled-in bomb does detonate on a space vessel, even a country-size
> vessel, would the consequences be more catastrophic than what happened
> in New York?

It really depends on where it detonates and how powerful it is.