/sci/ - Science & Math

If a dense (tungsten) hypervelocity rod impacted a target on earth, traveling about 9 Km/Sec, what sort of impact explosion would we see?

these rods have been quoted to having theoretical yields up to a small scale tactical nuke.

Im curious how there would be any huge explosion (huge fireball, etc) from a very fast, dense object hitting another. the impact would be purely kinetic?

What does /k/ think of kinetic bombardment from space?

"Rods from God" has been an idea since the 1950s. The idea is to have massive tungsten poles the size of telephone poles that weigh several tons with a pointed head, a GPS guidance system in the back as well as small fins and a rocket booster for initial acceleration. But no explosives. When launched, the rocket booster as well as Earth's gravity would accelerate the pole to meteor speeds of about mach 10 to mach 20. The pole has a small radar signature and is uninterceptable. The kinetic energy released upon impact thanks to the high speed would level a city block. Maybe more considering it goes really deep thanks to the shape of the head and would cause earthquake-like effects. Bunkers-B-gone. Impacts of that speed generate a considerable amount of plasma which would act like an explosion. All that without explosives.

There are many interesting articles about this. Just google the topic name if you want to know more.

Aside from the obvious cost problem, what do you guys think of the concept of orbital bombardment? Is it possible? How big would the impact of such a huge tungston pole be? I'm really interested in this concept so let me hear what you know.

Mars is the new gun, it pushes human progress and any nation that can be a part of it will have a distinct symbolic, cultural, material, and scientific/knowledge based advantage over other less capable nations.

No one can argue against the value of the American space program. due to the space race we now have the commanding heights over the rest of the world and they know it. Pushing for Mars will give us, or anyone involved i the process, unforeseen insights on space dominance.

Fuck yo feelings nigga this is about natural selection <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52NOs2nmwig&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLF6
DC77F93525981F>

What's the with the treaty banning the weaponization of space? When will it end? What do you suppose the percent of weaponized satellites are currently floating around up there?

http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2004-06/rods-god

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_bombardment#Project_Thor

My personal favorite feasible space weapon. ^