Aug 24, 2021 04:12 PM
(This post was last modified: Aug 25, 2021 07:18 AM by C C.)
The US military may soon declassify a secret space weapon
https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/08/...ce-weapon/
INTRO: US military officials are debating whether to publicly demonstrate a new space weapon capability, according to the online publication Breaking Defense.
Senior military leaders, including Gen. John Hyten, the vice-chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, have been discussing for more than a year whether to reveal a secret space weapon by providing a demonstration of its capabilities, the report says. The weapon system, the details of which remain obscure, was developed as a "Special Access Program," which is reserved for highly classified information.
The Trump administration considered revealing the space weapon as early as the annual Space Symposium conference in 2020, a prestigious event for the national defense community. The idea was to showcase the technology as a validation of the Space Force and Space Command, which is responsible for military operations in outer space. However, the conference was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the report, military officials considered unveiling the weapon at this year's Space Symposium, which takes place this week in Colorado. However, the recent fall of Afghanistan has apparently put those plans on hold as well. A public display, were it to occur, would likely take place this year. Hyten is reportedly the biggest proponent of such a test, and he retires in November.
Why would the US military want to publicly showcase a new space weapon? During the last 15 years, several countries, most notably China and Russia, have demonstrated anti-satellite capabilities. These operational capabilities could be used to disrupt, degrade, or destroy US space systems, said Brian Weeden, a director at the Secure World Foundation and co-editor of the Global Counterspace Capabilities report, along with Victoria Samson.
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The primary goal US military leaders have is deterring attacks on its satellites. A decision to publicly demonstrate a weapon indicates that military chiefs have determined that the knowledge of its existence would deter foreign actors from attempting to disable satellites—because such attacks would be futile.
"This would be a way for the Department of Defense to say, "Actually, our satellites are not that vulnerable,'" Weeden said. "We have ways to defeat attacks." (MORE)
These 7 “Star Trek” technologies may soon become reality
https://thedebrief.org/these-7-star-trek...e-reality/
INTRO: When the iconic science fiction television show Star Trek first premiered in 1966, humanity had yet to walk on the moon, and things like cell phones and the internet were still decades away from becoming more or less ubiquitous.
Still, the groundbreaking show, which evolved into numerous movies and follow-up series, not to mention an entire cult following of dedicated fans, also featured an array of futuristic weapons, ships, and devices to go along with the countless habitable worlds explored by the starship U.S.S. Enterprise and its intrepid crew. This included things like Photon Torpedoes, Food Replicators, Warp Drives, Phasers, Life Sign Detectors, Tractor Beams, Transporters, and even a Universal Translator, all of which added to the forward-looking and visionary aspect of the entire Star Trek universe.
In the nearly six decades since, a series of real-world scientific advancements have brought a number of those devices and technologies closer to reality, while some others like cell phones and talking computer interfaces are already part of our everyday 21st-century universe.
Here, we look at seven of those technologies that may one day move from fiction to reality... (MORE)
COVERED: Universal Translators ..... Food Replicators ..... Life Sign Detectors ..... Photon Torpedoes ..... Phasers & Phase Canons ..... Tractor Beams ..... Warp Drive ..... Transporters ..... Outlook: Will Star Trek Predict the Future?
https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/08/...ce-weapon/
INTRO: US military officials are debating whether to publicly demonstrate a new space weapon capability, according to the online publication Breaking Defense.
Senior military leaders, including Gen. John Hyten, the vice-chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, have been discussing for more than a year whether to reveal a secret space weapon by providing a demonstration of its capabilities, the report says. The weapon system, the details of which remain obscure, was developed as a "Special Access Program," which is reserved for highly classified information.
The Trump administration considered revealing the space weapon as early as the annual Space Symposium conference in 2020, a prestigious event for the national defense community. The idea was to showcase the technology as a validation of the Space Force and Space Command, which is responsible for military operations in outer space. However, the conference was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the report, military officials considered unveiling the weapon at this year's Space Symposium, which takes place this week in Colorado. However, the recent fall of Afghanistan has apparently put those plans on hold as well. A public display, were it to occur, would likely take place this year. Hyten is reportedly the biggest proponent of such a test, and he retires in November.
Why would the US military want to publicly showcase a new space weapon? During the last 15 years, several countries, most notably China and Russia, have demonstrated anti-satellite capabilities. These operational capabilities could be used to disrupt, degrade, or destroy US space systems, said Brian Weeden, a director at the Secure World Foundation and co-editor of the Global Counterspace Capabilities report, along with Victoria Samson.
Advertisement
The primary goal US military leaders have is deterring attacks on its satellites. A decision to publicly demonstrate a weapon indicates that military chiefs have determined that the knowledge of its existence would deter foreign actors from attempting to disable satellites—because such attacks would be futile.
"This would be a way for the Department of Defense to say, "Actually, our satellites are not that vulnerable,'" Weeden said. "We have ways to defeat attacks." (MORE)
These 7 “Star Trek” technologies may soon become reality
https://thedebrief.org/these-7-star-trek...e-reality/
INTRO: When the iconic science fiction television show Star Trek first premiered in 1966, humanity had yet to walk on the moon, and things like cell phones and the internet were still decades away from becoming more or less ubiquitous.
Still, the groundbreaking show, which evolved into numerous movies and follow-up series, not to mention an entire cult following of dedicated fans, also featured an array of futuristic weapons, ships, and devices to go along with the countless habitable worlds explored by the starship U.S.S. Enterprise and its intrepid crew. This included things like Photon Torpedoes, Food Replicators, Warp Drives, Phasers, Life Sign Detectors, Tractor Beams, Transporters, and even a Universal Translator, all of which added to the forward-looking and visionary aspect of the entire Star Trek universe.
In the nearly six decades since, a series of real-world scientific advancements have brought a number of those devices and technologies closer to reality, while some others like cell phones and talking computer interfaces are already part of our everyday 21st-century universe.
Here, we look at seven of those technologies that may one day move from fiction to reality... (MORE)
COVERED: Universal Translators ..... Food Replicators ..... Life Sign Detectors ..... Photon Torpedoes ..... Phasers & Phase Canons ..... Tractor Beams ..... Warp Drive ..... Transporters ..... Outlook: Will Star Trek Predict the Future?