If someone detonated a nuclear bomb in space, despite the gorgeous, bone marrow-slagging sunsets, it would also seriously screw up our communications and defense plans, as trillions of dollars worth of satellites all go offline due to overdoses of radiation. New satellites can be rad hardened, sure, but what about the old ones? Well, one idea — and Nasa and Darpa are trying to work this one out — is to run electrically-charged tethers in space between satellites in low Earth orbit, cutting across magnetic field lines and diluting the radiation, pushing it into space. Sounds a little crazy to me, but they have a picture with a diagram, and I fear radiation like any sane American should, so my wallet is totally out.
Read [DefenseTech]
