Vulnerability of Space Settlements to Attacks

--- In spacesettlers@y..., Ryan Healey wrote:
> --- 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.
>
> > Monart
> > Starship Aurora
>
$8.95/month.

All,
Planning on a possible meteorite puncture or explosion from any
source would seem to be prudent. Incorporating several relatively
independent modules connected by air-locks or doors that close very
quickly, would make sense to me. Then a strike could only damage a
fraction of the settlement.

Naturally, separate air refreshing stations should also be included
to guard against biological attach.

Tom