Initial Mission

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Updated 7/7/2024

Whether by the end of this century or after (or possibly even well before) we will eventually have a presence in the Solar System. A presence that will steadily grow. And soon enough we will have enough parties with capabilities to place a near-Earth (and eventually Mars-to-Jupiter and beyond) orbit asteroids on a collision course with Earth. Thus, by the time there are enough non-governmental parties capable of doing this we must be prepared (on our own, using our technology, given that the threats would be generated by ourselves, using homegrown methods and to ensure no causa interventus) to intercept, deflect, or destroy an asteroid of any significant size (big enough to cause significant damage).

To accomplish this we will need (to begin with) a redundant network of near-Earth Solar orbit satellites (at a minimum) capable of detecting approaching massive objects and launching projectiles that would attach to the asteroid and deflect it (or just simply blow it up into smaller, less dangerous pieces).

Given that soon enough we will be moving asteroids to mine rare materials we will also need a system for providing controlled hardware to ensure no course changes to their movement (or at least controlled devices capable of destroying asteroids).

As the most proximate defensive, we will also need a redundant network of Earth orbit satellites capable of detecting and intercepting, deflecting (or in the worst-case scenario destroying) all massive objects that are approaching Earth.

Of course, all of these satellites must be capable of defending themselves from all plausible threats.

With time, as the threats grow larger (with our capabilities to move ever more massive objects continuously growing) these networks would have to reach farther into the Solar System and become more numerous and more capable.

To the (likely very numerous in associations) external parties (most probably of varying degrees of capabilities, interest, and friendliness) this would signal the beginning of the (naturally and possibly best for all involved parties to be) gradual transition to indigenous security of our star system.

Of course, all of these networks would have to work in concert. Given that no single national (or by then possibly regional/continental) government could afford to support this network or could ensure fair security for all of humanity (and given the increasing economic parity of all regions, which will only become more so with robotization and nuclear fusion energy) these networks would have to be jointly built, maintained and secured by an international structure, primarily loyal to all of humanity (though possibly still partitioned in some form, for hundreds if not thousands of years) - the Orbital Fleet.