NationStates Jolt Archive

Earlier today, General Richard Pointer, CINC of the Imperial Space Agency, announced that The Holy Empire of Cav intended to build a second space staion.

In his press conference, he declared that construction had begun the month before, in conjunction with the constrution platforms on the moon, the original Space Defense Station, and Earth stations.

The plans call for a smaller version of the current Space Defense Station, with a smaller construction and repair site. The docking bays will be the same, and the station can hold ships such as the SF-500 Firehawk and those smaller.

The anti-ballistic missile platform will be copied from the original station, and will be capable of shooting down ballistic-arc missiles.

The major difference, though, is that this station will be more maneuverable and versitile. Engines copied from various designs will allow the station to move around Earth more easily, and the station can also be moved to the moon.

The second station is necessary for when a majority of forces are abroad, and the original Space Defense Station is still needed for overhead defense of Cav. Now, the Imperial Space Agency can monitor battlefields all across the globe and still keep the homeland safe.

This station, which is to be called the Mobile Defense Station, will carry an array of imaging and heat-sensing systems. General Pointer's press conference comment was, "If a bird crapped on a car, we could zero in on it."

Construction time is estimated at 18 months.

The anti-ballistic missile platform will be copied from the original station, and will be capable of shooting down ballistic-arc missiles.

ooc:- How does this work? If I fired a missile from 250,000 km away at the station (by plotting it's orbit) and it went ballistic after max accel, how would you detect it? (assuming stealth tech like radar absorbing paint is used).

I mean if you cannot see it, you cannot intercept it.

Just like normal modern ballistic missiles, the missiles are fired and the gasses in the booster(s) ignite and propel the missile upwards. The massive heat signature given off by the missile in its ascent would show up on our indicators.

We could track the missiles from launch by coordinating satellites and relaying the information to the central computers in both the Space Defense Station and Mobile Defense Station. Presumably, the Mobile Defense Station will be over the area of interest where the missile is targeted, and can therefore be taken down.

General Pointer stepped away from the podium and returned to his office. He collected his documents and walked downstairs to his waiting car.

The Bently Arnage drove General Pointer to Emperor Cav's palace, where he had a meeting coming up. He swpied his card and scanned his retina, and the guards let him into the palace. Pointer walked up the stairs and entered Cav's office door.

"Your Excellency," General Pointer saluted at Cav.

"Rich, great conference. You did a good job. Please, have a seat."

"Thank you, sir."

"So," Cav continued as the server brought Pointer his favorite coffee, "all things are going well with the construction of the station?"

"Yes, Your Excellency. We are working as fast as we can, and things are progressing smoothly. There is only one problem that we're going to face in the construction, and that has to do with the weapons platform. The nuclear missiles that we put on the station have to be concealed and kept under tight security, lest some nations find out that we're putting live nuclear weapons over their country."

"That does seem like a problem. Make sure that this stays one of our most closely-regarded secrets, with only the top brass knowing about this project. I'm sure we can find a bay to hide the missiles in. Just make sure that we have that place secure, and that only our closest allies know what is truly hidden there."

"Yes sir."

ooc:- This is just to help defend you from claims of godmoding, so don't take it as an attack on you please.

How sensitive are your sensors? as missiles can be launched on ballistic cources at extreme range (as orbiting structures don't change orbits at the drop of a hat). can you detect a sustatain acceleration at 100 million kms?

Also a ballistic missile can be accelerated by the firing ship only by the use of magnetic launchers, hence no heat source at all.

ooc:- This is just to help defend you from claims of godmoding, so don't take it as an attack on you please.

I understand. This is my 2nd space station (although my original post was deleted in one of the mods' great purges), but nobody's had any problems so far.

How sensitive are your sensors? as missiles can be launched on ballistic cources at extreme range (as orbiting structures don't change orbits at the drop of a hat). can you detect a sustatain acceleration at 100 million kms?

The station will be positioned over the opposing country at the start of hostilities, given that there is no orbital resistance. About the 100 million kilometer distance, it would take the missile a long time to reach the station (given its speed it would take 165 days at full speed (and that's a lot of fuel))

So, yes, we can detect launches at that speed, due to the enormous amount of heat generated by a conventional launch, especially at the beginning of the launch. Unless I misunderstood you.

Also a ballistic missile can be accelerated by the firing ship only by the use of magnetic launchers, hence no heat source at all.

This is an interesting aspect that I had not thought of. Perhaps the Mobile Defense Station (and an upgrade of the Space Defense Station) would warrant magnetic field sensors to detect the plumes of a highly mobile magnetized missile. The station is also equipped with imaging systems that would search the skies and ground for fast-moving objects.