Space Warfare and Accidents
Arthur C. Clarke wrote an article called, "War and Peace in the Space Age," in which he suggested that an artificial satellite in retrograde orbit could use "a bucket of nails" to destroy an SDI (anti-warhead) satellite. This premise was ridiculed on account of the vastness of space and the low probability of an encounter.
Nevertheless, a satellite in retrograde orbit could pose a major hazard to other satellites, especially if it was placed in the Clarke belt, where geostationary satellites orbit. This risk highlights the fragility of communication satellites and the importance of international cooperation in preventing space collisions due to negligence or malice.
Read more about this topic: Artificial Satellites In Retrograde Orbit
Famous quotes containing the words space, warfare and/or accidents:
“Let the space under the first storey be dark, let the water
lap the stone posts, and vivid green slime glimmer
upon them; let a boat be kept there.”
—Denise Levertov (b. 1923)
“And God would bid His warfare cease,
Saying all things were well;
And softly make a rosy peace,
A peace of Heaven with Hell.”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“We are the men of intrinsic value, who can strike our fortunes out of ourselves, whose worth is independent of accidents in life, or revolutions in government: we have heads to get money, and hearts to spend it.”
—George Farquhar (1678–1707)