Use of Rail-Gun/up-coming tech on surface vessels?

[kato]

Supposedly the sheer velocity they accrued while entering the atmosphere did away with the need for any propulsion or warhead.

To go "down", they'd need to be propelled towards Earth first. Otherwise they're staying right where they are.

In a straight entry into the atmosphere at a 90-degree angle, the atmospheric heat-up would probably evaporate at least 80% of that 25-foot long rod - if its thick enough and of the proper material to begin with. Unless we're talking dropping at least a ton or two of hardened material in a single such launch, forget about terminal effects.

You just had to be right above your target when you fired.

Well, accounting for Earth's rotation, potential variations in orbit, wind influence, destabilization due to the propulsion method and necessary satellite counter-thrust... you'd only be about a few thousand km off mark doing that. Probably.

 

[swampfox]

Well, accounting for Earth's rotation, potential variations in orbit, wind influence, destabilization due to the propulsion method and necessary satellite counter-thrust... you'd only be about a few thousand km off mark doing that. Probably.

Heh. I guess so. I kind of thought about that, but didn't think it would be as bad as thousands of Kilometers. Still, the point stands that an accurate drop location would turn a steel rod into a powerful weapon, without expensive rail firing systems. And I doubt that wind would be much of a factor, because of the high speed and low size of the rod. But I'm not a meteorologist or a physicist.

 

[Mikestro]

This concept of steel/tungsten rods (crowbars) launched towards earth from orbit has been refered to as "Rods from God". This idea dates back to the 50's. An idea was proposed to drop 10's of thousands of "Rods from God" on advancing hordes of Soviet tanks across the Fulda Gap.