Kinetic bombardment#In science fiction

{{see also|Smart Rocks}}

During the Korean and Vietnam Wars, there was limited use of the Lazy Dog bomb, a kinetic projectile shaped like a conventional bomb but only about {{convert|1+3/4|in|mm}} long and {{convert|1/2|in|mm}} in diameter. A piece of sheet metal was folded to make the fins and welded to the rear of the projectile. These were dumped from aircraft onto enemy troops and had the same effect as a machine gun fired vertically.{{cite book |first=David |last=Karmes |title=The Patricia Lynn Project: Vietnam War, the Early Years of Air Intelligence |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SQrcBQAAQBAJ |year=2014 |publisher=iUniverse |isbn=978-1-4917-5228-9 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SQrcBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT142 |chapter=The Lazy Dog Bomb}}{{self-published inline|date=February 2020}}{{cite book |first=Ralph A. |last=Rowley |title=Close Air Support in Vietnam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TcXNBAAAQBAJ |date=12 April 2013 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1-939335-12-8 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=TcXNBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA43 43]}}{{self-published inline|date=February 2020}} Similar flechette projectiles have been used since World War I.{{Cite web |url=https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/03/03/the-flechettes/ |first=Ian |last=Harvey |title=WWI Flechettes – the troop piercing arrows dropped from planes onto German trenches |website=The Vintage News |date=3 March 2018 |access-date=13 August 2024}}

In the 1980s, another kinetic swarm system was conceptualized as a potential part of the Strategic Defense Initiative, there codenamed Brilliant Pebbles.{{cite web |publisher=Claremont Institute |url=http://www.missilethreat.com/missiledefensesystems/id.13/system_detail.asp |title=Brilliant Pebbles |website=MissileThreat.com |date=18 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101019035528/http://www.missilethreat.com/missiledefensesystems/id.13/system_detail.asp |archive-date=October 19, 2010 |access-date=March 11, 2006}}{{cite web |first=Baker |last=Spring |publisher=The Heritage Foundation |url=http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/upload/87946_1.pdf |title='Brilliant Pebbles': The Revolutionary Idea for Strategic Defense |date=January 25, 1990 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060317104832/http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/upload/87946_1.pdf |archive-date=March 17, 2006 |url-status=unfit |access-date=August 13, 2024}}

Project Thor was an idea for a weapons system that launches telephone pole-sized kinetic projectiles made from tungsten from Earth's orbit to damage targets on the ground. Jerry Pournelle created the concept while working in operations research at Boeing in the 1950s before becoming a science-fiction writer.{{cite news |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/magazine/10section3a.t-9.html |title=Rods From God |first=Jonathan |last=Shainin |date=10 December 2006}}{{cite web |publisher=The View from Chaos Manor |url=http://www.jerrypournelle.com/archives2/archives2mail/mail404.html#Thor |title=Chaos Manor Mail |first=Jerry |last=Pournelle |date=6 March 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828221908/http://www.jerrypournelle.com/archives2/archives2mail/mail404.html#Thor |archive-date=28 August 2008}}

A system described in the 2003 United States Air Force report called Hypervelocity Rod Bundles{{cite web | url=https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=446196 | title=2003 U.S. Air Force Transformation Flight Plan |publisher= United States Department of the Air Force |via=Homeland Security Digital Library |date=November 2003 }} was that of {{convert|20|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}}, {{convert|1|ft|m|adj=mid|-diameter}} tungsten rods that are satellite-controlled and have global strike capability, with impact speeds of Mach 10.{{cite web|work=Asia Times|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/GH18Aa01.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051218005209/http://atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/GH18Aa01.html|url-status=unfit|archive-date=18 December 2005|title=Star Wars: Empires strike back|first=Giuseppe |last=Anzera|date=18 August 2005|access-date=25 May 2010}}{{cite web|work=San Francisco Chronicle|url=https://www.sfgate.com/opinion/article/RODS-FROM-GOD-Imagine-a-bundle-of-telephone-2539690.php|title=RODS FROM GOD / Imagine a bundle of telephone poles hurtling through space at 7,000 mph|first=John |last=Arquilla|date=12 March 2006|access-date=25 May 2010|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130202125232/http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/article/RODS-FROM-GOD-Imagine-a-bundle-of-telephone-2539690.php|archive-date=2 February 2013|quote=[Such] bundles of metal are not specifically disallowed by the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which explicitly prohibits only deploying nuclear weapons in space. The rods, however, would violate the spirit of the more general Outer Space Treaty.|url-status=live}}

The bomb would naturally contain large kinetic energy because it moves at orbital velocities, around {{convert|8|km/s|ft/s Mach|lk=on}} in orbit and {{convert|3|km/s|ft/s Mach|lk=on}} at impact. As the rod reenters Earth's atmosphere, it would lose most of its velocity, but the remaining energy would cause considerable damage. Some systems are quoted as having the yield of a small tactical nuclear bomb.{{cite web|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2005/may/19/spaceexploration.usnews|title=Bush likely to back weapons in space|author=Julian Borger|date=19 May 2005|access-date=25 May 2010}} These designs are envisioned as a bunker buster.{{cite news|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|title=Rods from God|first=Jack |last=Kelly|date=28 July 2003|page=A5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/94403109/}} As the name suggests, the 'bunker buster' is powerful enough to destroy a nuclear bunker. With 6–8 satellites on a given orbit, a target could be hit within 12–15 minutes from any given time, less than half the time taken by an ICBM and without the launch warning. Such a system could also be equipped with sensors to detect incoming anti-ballistic missile-type threats and relatively light protective measures to use against them (e.g. hit-to-kill missiles or megawatt-class chemical laser). The time between deorbit and impact would only be a few minutes, and depending on the orbits and positions in the orbits, the system would have a worldwide range. There would be no need to deploy missiles, aircraft, or other vehicles.

In the case of the system mentioned in the 2003 Air Force report above, a {{convert|6.1|x|0.3|m|0}} tungsten cylinder impacting at {{convert|10|Mach|ft/s m/s}} has kinetic energy equivalent to approximately {{convert|11.5|tonTNT|lk=on}}.{{Cite web|url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a458089.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807223031/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a458089.pdf|url-status=live|archive-date=August 7, 2020|title=US Air Force Transformation Flight Plan|access-date=14 May 2020}} The mass of such a cylinder is itself greater than {{convert|9|ST}}, so the practical applications of such a system are limited to those situations where its other characteristics provide a clear and decisive advantage—a conventional bomb/warhead of similar weight to the tungsten rod, delivered by conventional means, provides similar destructive capability and is far more practical and cost-effective.{{cite book | chapter-url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/mr1209af.11 | jstor=10.7249/mr1209af.11 | chapter=Kinds and Capabilities of Space Weapons | last1=Preston | first1=Bob | last2=Johnson | first2=Dana J. | last3=Edwards | first3=Sean J. A. | last4=Miller | first4=Michael | last5=Shipbaugh | first5=Calvin | title=Space Weapons Earth Wars | year=2002 | pages=23–50 | publisher=RAND Corporation | isbn=9780833029379 }}{{cite journal | url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4137586 | jstor=4137586 | title=Space Weapons: Crossing the U.S. Rubicon | last1=Deblois | first1=Bruce M. | last2=Garwin | first2=Richard L. | last3=Scott Kemp | first3=R. | last4=Marwell | first4=Jeremy C. | journal=International Security | year=2004 | volume=29 | issue=2 | pages=50–84 | doi=10.1162/0162288042879922 | s2cid=57559513 | url-access=subscription }}{{cite magazine | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fAAAAAAAMBAJ | title= Is This What War Will Come To? |last=Adams|first=Eric |magazine=Popular Science | date=June 2004|pages=62-72|access-date=March 2, 2025|volume=264 |number=6|publisher= Bonnier Corporation}}

The highly elongated shape and high mass of the projectiles are intended to enhance sectional density (and therefore minimize kinetic energy loss due to air friction) and maximize penetration of hard or buried targets. The larger device is expected to be quite effective at penetrating deeply buried bunkers and other command and control targets.

{{Cite episode | title = Space Wars | url = https://www.history.com/shows/the-universe/season-4/episode-8 | access-date = 2021-02-21 | series = The Universe | series-link = The Universe (TV series) | network = History |date= 2009-10-06 |season=4 |series-no= |number=8 | df = dmy-all }}

The weapon would be very hard to defend against. It has a very high closing velocity and a small radar cross-section. The launch is difficult to detect. Any infrared launch signature occurs in orbit, at no fixed position. The infrared launch signature also has a much smaller magnitude compared to a ballistic missile launch. The system would also have to cope with atmospheric heating from re-entry, which could melt non-tungsten components of the weapon.{{Cite magazine|magazine=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2004/02/62358?currentPage=2|title=Pentagon Preps for War in Space|first=Noah |last=Shachtman|date=20 February 2004|access-date=25 May 2010}}

The phrase "rods from God" is used to describe the same concept.{{cite web|work=The Weekly Standard|url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/700oklkt.asp|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050615010041/http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/700oklkt.asp|archivedate=June 15, 2005|title=The Rods from God|first=Michael |last=Goldfarb|date=8 June 2005|access-date=28 May 2010}} An Air Force report called them "hypervelocity rod bundles".{{cite web|work=Popular Science|url=http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2004-06/rods-god|title=Rods from God|first=Eric |last=Adams|date=June 2004|access-date=27 May 2010}}

{{More citations needed section|date=January 2016}}

In the 1970s and 1980s, this idea was refined in science fiction novels such as Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle (the same Pournelle that first proposed the idea for military use in a non-fiction context), in which aliens use a Thor-type system.Niven, Larry; Pournelle, Jerry (1985). Footfall. Del Rey Books. ISBN 978-0345323446 During the 1980s and 1990s, references to such weapons became a staple of science fiction roleplaying games such as Traveller, Shadowrun, and Heavy Gear (the first of these games naming such weapons ortillery, a portmanteau of orbital artilleryGame Designers Workshop, Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society No. 9, 1981), as well as visual media including Babylon 5's "mass drivers",Straczynski, J. Michael (Creator). Babylon 5. Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, 1994–1998. the film The Last Starfighter,Castle, Jonathan R. (Producer); Ritchie, Nick (Director). The Last Starfighter. Universal Pictures, 1984. ISBN 978-0425072040 and the film Starship Troopers,Verhoeven, Paul (Director). Starship Troopers. TriStar Pictures, 1997. ISBN 978-1572973301 itself an adaptation of the Heinlein novel of the same name.Heinlein, Robert A. (1959). Starship Troopers. G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 978-0441783588

In The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966) by Robert A. Heinlein, the lunar colonists repurpose a mass driver to launch large rocks at Earth as kinetic bombardment weapons. These projectiles rely solely on impact energy and are used as a form of asymmetric warfare against Earth's superior forces. The attacks serve both as a means of physical destruction and as a psychological weapon to pressure Earth into granting lunar independence.Heinlein, Robert A. (1966). The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 978-0312863555

Call of Duty: Ghosts features two kinetic bombardment weapons named Odin and Loki as story elements in the campaign and as killstreak weapons.

In The Mote in God's Eye (1974) by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle, kinetic orbital bombardment is depicted as a strategic military option, utilizing high-velocity projectiles launched from space to inflict devastation on planetary targets. These weapons rely on pure kinetic energy rather than explosives, making them a precise and efficient alternative to nuclear strikes. The novel describes their use in planetary sieges, where spacecraft or orbital platforms fire dense, inert projectiles to penetrate defenses and infrastructure.Niven, Larry; Pournelle, Jerry (1974). The Mote in God's Eye. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0671741921

A smaller "crowbar" variant is mentioned in David's Sling by Marc Stiegler (Baen, 1988). Set in the Cold War, the story is based on the use of (relatively inexpensive) information-based "intelligent" systems to overcome an enemy's numerical advantage. The orbital kinetic bombardment system is used first to destroy the Soviet tank armies that have invaded Europe and then to take out Soviet ICBM silos prior to a nuclear strike.Stiegler, Marc (1988). David's Sling. Baen Books. ISBN 978-0671653699

In Nemesis Games (2015) by James S.A. Corey, kinetic orbital bombardment is depicted through the repurposing of civilian asteroid mining technology, where factions redirect space rocks as improvised weapons. Unlike traditional purpose-built kinetic strikes, this approach uses industrial infrastructure to covertly manipulate asteroids, turning them into high-mass projectiles without dedicated military systems. This highlights the novel intersection of commercial space operations and warfare, showcasing how everyday resource extraction methods can be weaponized in interplanetary conflict.Corey, James S.A. (2015). Nemesis Games. Orbit Books. ISBN 978-0316334716

In Revelation Space (2000) by Alastair Reynolds, the assault on the world of Cerberus utilizes a two-stage kinetic bombardment strategy. First, a relativistic mass driver bombards the megastructure with high-velocity projectiles to weaken its defenses. This is followed by a lighthugger, a massive interstellar vessel that deliberately crashed into the planet, delivering a nanotechnological warfare payload deep into its crust.Reynolds, Alastair (2000). Revelation Space. Gollancz. ISBN 978-0441009428

Halo features the Magnetic Accelerator Cannon (MAC), or Mass Accelerator Cannon, as the primary weapon system employed by the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) on its warships and orbital defense platforms.{{cite book |last1=Staten |first1=Joseph |title=Halo: Contact Harvest |date=2007 |publisher=Tor Books |location=New York |isbn=978-0-7653-1569-4 |page=119 |edition=1st}}{{cite book |last1=Patenaude |first1=Jeremy |title=Halo: The Essential Visual Guide |date=2011 |publisher=DK Publishing |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0756675929 |page=114}} Essentially large coilguns, MACs are capable of firing a variety of ammunition types varying on the model and bore, ranging from hyper-dense kinetic kill slugs to sub-caliber rounds to semi-autonomous drone missiles.{{cite book |last1=Peters |first1=Kenneth |title=Halo: Warfleet - An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo |date=2017 |publisher=Egmont Publishing |location=New York, New York |isbn=978-1681196633 |page=32}} Most predominantly featured in Halo Wars and Halo Wars 2, the MAC is an ability that allows the player to utilize the UNSC Spirit of Fire's point-defense MAC for pinpoint orbital bombardment, allowing the player to heavily damage or destroy enemy units. However, there are variants of the MAC platforms mounted to various ships and stations, with the most powerful being able to fire a 3,000-ton projectile at anywhere between 0.4% and 25% the speed of light.

In Seveneves (2015) by Neal Stephenson, kinetic orbital bombardment occurs as a natural consequence of the Moon’s fragmentation, resulting in a sustained bombardment of Earth by high-velocity lunar debris. The impact energy of these fragments causes widespread devastation, leading to the collapse of civilization. Unlike conventional orbital strikes, this event highlights the destructive potential of natural celestial mechanics, framing kinetic bombardment as an existential threat.Stephenson, Neal (2015). Seveneves. William Morrow. ISBN 978-0062334510

In Death's End (2010) by Cixin Liu, kinetic orbital bombardment is depicted through the use of near-light-speed projectiles, where objects are accelerated to relativistic velocities to maximize destructive energy. These strikes are capable of triggering planetary-scale catastrophes, as even small masses, when moving at a significant fraction of the speed of light, release immense kinetic energy upon impact. Unlike traditional orbital bombardment, which relies on gravity-assisted or mass-driver-launched projectiles, these attacks are executed with extreme precision using advanced acceleration technologies. This portrayal highlights the existential threat of relativistic warfare, where the sheer energy of kinetic strikes renders planetary defenses nearly obsolete.Liu, Cixin (2010). Death’s End. Chongqing Press. ISBN 978-0765377104

• Concrete bomb
• Kinetic energy penetrator
• Cobalt bomb
• Prompt Global Strike
• Railgun
• Boeing X-37
• Brilliant Pebbles
• Flechette
• Fractional Orbital Bombardment System

{{reflist}}

{{Library resources box}}

• {{Citation|publisher = RAND Corporation|title=Space Weapons, Earth Wars|year=2002|isbn=0-8330-2937-1}}

• {{cite web|url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/700oklkt.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050609232528/http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/700oklkt.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 9, 2005|title=Rods from God|publisher=The Weekly Standard}}
• {{cite web|publisher=Popular Science|url=http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2004-06/rods-god|title=Rods from God|date=June 2004}}
• {{cite web|author=Richard L. Garwin|url=http://fas.org/rlg/030522-space.pdf|title=Space Weapons, Not Yet|date=14 May 2003}}

{{Doomsday}}

{{science fiction}}

{{Politics of outer space}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kinetic Bombardment}}

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