Defence scientists say the technology could threaten low Earth orbit satellite networks such as Starlink at an extremely low cost.
Low Cost? It's 100 Gigawatts. And the inverse square law is still a thing. In fact it's the thing, the reason most sci-fi weapons can't exist until we get infinite exponential power sources.
This will be amazing at missile defense and anti-air, however, thoroughly eliminating any reasonably distanced threat.
100 GW means nothing without knowing how long you’ll run it. One second at 100 GW is about 28 MWh, and 1 MWh of electricity in the US costs about $25, so that’s around $700 per second.
11 Comments
davel@lemmy.ml · 10 pts · 25d
I know I’m running out of material, but I haven’t made reference to Real Genius in at least a year. https://youtu.be/rthHSISkM7A
yogthos@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 25d
lmao
crazycraw@crazypeople.online · 6 pts · 25d
oh boy, cancer from 3000yds
davel@lemmy.ml · 18 pts · 25d
Actually no: microwaves are non-ionizing. It will thoroughly cook you, though.
warmaster@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 24d
Air-BBQ-9000™
Transform2942@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 24d
20KW microwave for reference
(1 / 5,000,000th of these peak watts)
marxismtomorrow@lemmy.today · 5 pts · 25d
Low Cost? It's 100 Gigawatts. And the inverse square law is still a thing. In fact it's the thing, the reason most sci-fi weapons can't exist until we get infinite exponential power sources.
This will be amazing at missile defense and anti-air, however, thoroughly eliminating any reasonably distanced threat.
davel@lemmy.ml · 13 pts · 25d
100 GW means nothing without knowing how long you’ll run it. One second at 100 GW is about 28 MWh, and 1 MWh of electricity in the US costs about $25, so that’s around $700 per second.
Nonconfrontational@lemmy.ml · 12 pts · 25d
Sounds cheaper than those guns that shoot missiles down with bullets, though I could be wrong.
yogthos@lemmy.ml · 9 pts · 24d
It's low cost compared to trying to take out these satellites by conventional means.
Skyrmir@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 25d
Very impressive really, combining microwave pulses theoretically easy, but practically very difficult.
Orthodox@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 24d