Mars Family Robinson

From: ANTIcarrot [mailto:dante.feditech@ntlworld.com]

> This depends on how much control Terran governments retain over the
SSPS. Since each SSPS is effectively a Gigawatt laser
> capable of doing obscene ammounts of damage if it strays off target -

This is a persistent, yet totally incorrect assertion. Please do not
repeat this old chestnut.

> In which case a beligerant teran government that wishes to retain
control of it's colony has the option of
> reprogramming a few SSPS to point their output at the colony and cook
it.

How could you "cook" an orbital habitat with a microwave beam with a
power density only around half that of the sunlight which the habitat is
already bathed in 24/7? And besides, most of the energy would be
reflected away by the metal hull; just about all of it if the hull is
aluminum.

Regards,

Mike Combs