As we all know, with the development of human science and technology, we can now explore the deep ocean and the ocean and search for the stars in the universe. space station is the largest outer space research site for mankind, and has many unique features. It is completely possible to form weightless state , so that various scientific research experiments can be carried out on it.
Because the temperature in outer space is as low as -270.4℃, it is also an environment with oxygen-free pressure-free microgravity . Once the human body is exposed to outer space without protection, it will die in a very short time. In order to ensure the safety of astronauts, the space station itself has a relatively high safety factor under the application of a series of advanced technologies, and it is difficult for accidents to occur on its own.
However, there are unexpected situations in the world. Even at high altitude space stations, they will face different threats at all times, being passive and more active. For example, space garbage flying at high speed in outer space is a passive non-manual threat, while advanced missiles are the active and artificial threats that space stations will be subject to.
Although the probability of a country daring to attack the space station is infinitely close to zero, there is no guarantee that such an event will not happen.
So, with the existing air defense and anti-missile missiles, the space station can still be shot down. From this point of view, the space station is not absolutely safe in outer space and will still be subject to various threats.
So, what are the existing air defense and anti-missile missiles that can destroy the space station?
Operation characteristics of the space station
The existing space stations are all in outer space at an altitude of about 400 kilometers, and the flight speed is very fast at about 7.7 kilometers per second, which is equivalent to Mach 22. In other words, if a missile wants to hit a space station that is close to the high-speed flight of 's first cosmic speed, if it adopts the pursuit mode, the flight speed must be greater than Mach 22. Even today's anti-missile interceptors are far from reaching such a flight speed.
However, the interceptor can completely use the encounter interception mode. If you intercept in this way, the interceptor's flight speed will not be necessary to reach Mach 22, and it can also hit the space station. Because the operating orbit of the space station is a fixed ellipse, it is still quite easy for the computer to calculate its specific position at a certain time. As long as the missile flies towards this position, it can still easily hit the space station.
It can be seen that as long as the missile's flight altitude can exceed 400 kilometers, it can accurately hit the space station. Otherwise, the previous anti-satellite tests would not be possible. In fact, anti-satellite and anti-satellite stations have the same technology, or it is much easier to attack the space station than anti-satellites. The main reason is that some satellites, , operate orbits much higher than those of space stations. Countries with anti-high-orbit satellite capabilities must have the ability to attack space stations.
The performance of existing air defense and anti-missile missiles
Since the minimum operating orbit of the space station is also 400 kilometers, the maximum shooting height of the missile is only more than 400 kilometers before it can be shot down. However, there are too few air defense and anti-missile missiles with a height of more than 400 kilometers.
What is certain is that the maximum firing height of an air defense missile is far from meeting the requirements, because the main interception target of an air defense missile is aerodynamic targets within the atmosphere, not outside the atmosphere.
is mainly because the maneuverability of air defense missiles mostly relies on the force between the wings and air to provide lift, and rely on the force of the rudder surface and air to change the flight trajectory and improve maneuverability. Although some air defense missiles are also equipped with gas rudders around the engine nozzles, they do not play much role in outer space. They mainly rely on the rudder surface to change the flight trajectory. This is also the reason why the maximum firing height of all air defense missiles is difficult to exceed 200 kilometers.
For example: The standard-6Block1b air defense missile equipped by the US Navy has a maximum firing height of only 160 kilometers, which is already the model with the highest firing height of the air defense missile.
The S-400 air defense system used by the Russian army has a maximum range of up to 480 kilometers when selected for the most advanced 40N6 interceptor missile, but its maximum range is only 30 kilometers.
The most advanced Patriot-3 air defense system based on the United States, the selected MM-104 interceptor missile has a maximum range of 160 kilometers and a maximum shooting height of only 20 kilometers.
Even the interceptor missile used by the THAAD anti-missile system, which was specially designed for anti-missile, has a maximum range of 300 kilometers, but its maximum firing height is only 150 kilometers.
It can be seen from this that the maximum firing height of the above more advanced air defense missiles is not reaching a height of 400 kilometers, so naturally, there is no way to deal with the space station.
Since air defense missiles are not good, there are anti-missile interceptors specifically targeted at intercontinental missiles.
There are still multiple models of anti-missile interceptor missiles in service, such as the US Navy's Standard-3Block2A Anti-missile interceptor missile, the US Air Force's GBI Anti-missile interceptor missile, and Russia's 51T6 Anti-missile interceptor missile.
standard-3Block2A anti-missile interceptor
Its maximum range is 2500 kilometers, its maximum firing height is 1500 kilometers, and its maximum flight speed is Mach 15.
GBI anti-missile interceptor
Its maximum range is 5000 kilometers, its maximum shooting height is 2500 kilometers, and its maximum flight speed is 24.4 Mach.
51T6 anti-missile interceptor
Its maximum range is 2000 kilometers, its maximum firing height is 1500 kilometers, and its maximum flight speed is 14.7 Mach. The reason why the maximum firing height of the anti-missile interceptor missile can exceed 1,000 kilometers is because its warhead directly uses impact to kill the target, which requires extremely high control accuracy.
The mobility of the kinetic warhead is controlled by the small rocket engine above. It does not rely on the force between the rudder surface and the air to change the flight trajectory, so it is possible to ignore whether there is air. As long as the engine has enough fuel, it can still fly far. The maximum firing heights of the above three anti-missile interceptor missiles above
are more than 400 kilometers. Since it can intercept the intercontinental ballistic missile in the middle of the flight, it is also very simple to shoot down the space station running at an altitude of 400 kilometers.
However, the space station is in outer space. Even if it is hit by a missile, it will not crash to the earth immediately. At most, it will lose control and gradually lower the orbital height. Under the dual action of the earth's gravity and air resistance, it will slowly enter the atmosphere, rub against the air and finally burn some of it, and the rest will crash onto the earth.
This shows that whether it is a space station or a satellite, it is relatively fragile in outer space. After all, the space garbage flies very fast, and once the space station is hit, the consequences are still very serious.
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