In Reply to: Sure it would, but... on what purpose? posted by orejones on December 10, 2003 at 08:08:25:
First of all, there is no need for the spacecraft to be anything but trying to reach the Earth. Second, it need not be manned (or aliened, if you prefer) -- it could just be a probe of sorts that is sent from a civilization that believes we are worth investigating (after years of receiving radio/TV electromagnetic signals. Third, at only 0.04c (4% the relative speed of light) it could travel from outside the orbit of Saturn (the detectable region for many comets -- much bigger and slower than our friend) to just behind the Sun (from Earth) in only 3 days. From the Sun to Earth in only hours. If it's unmanned (oops, I mean unaliened) it can withstand high G forces allowing it to get into Earth orbit (or just about) very quickly -- which is where it is fired upon. With only hours of potential warning, and moments to make a shoot or no shoot decision, I can easily see a panic shot being launced -- if not several. Wasn't there an incident, not many years ago, where an Alaska passenger airliner got shot down by a Soviet missile? In plain English -- S*** happens.
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Follow Ups
- Some concerns asnwered . . . - Merak 18:53:49 12/10/03 (0)