Re: Nearby Supernova & space program
- From: "Hyper" <hyperboreea@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 22 May 2006 08:13:40 -0700
Nick Hull wrote:
No, I'm not talking about the Sun going supernova, just a nearby star.
This is not a rare event at all, they have been recorded in history
about every hundred years, possibly including the Star of Bethlehem. A
hundred years ago a nearby supernova meant a really bright star, visible
in the daytime, but hurt no one. Then we invented electronics and the
world is different.
Any supernova that would zap our gadgets would kill us too.
We see disaster movies about a meteor that might hit earth every 50,000
years or a supervolcano equally probable or even a super earthquake the
likes of which has not been seen in recorded history, but no nearby
supernova movies even though they are more common; maybe because no one
will bleed from the direct effects.
Yes, you bleed when the ozone layer is gone. And go hungry and freeze.
A nearby supernova will have 3 major effects;
1) It will kill the manned space program for many years. Any space
station would have to be abandoned, outposts on the moon would be
abandoned and astronauts on mars would be killed. There is a slim
possibility that an outpost on an asteroid might survive if it were
buried deep enough but resupply would be a major problem.
It might kill the space program indirectly, because of economic
trouble. My guess is it won't. Space is too important to abandon even
in a depression - comm, weather, etc.
Outposts on the Moon & Mars would probably do OK since they would be
mostly underground. If they would be semi-autonomous, astronauts would
do just fine until things get stable again.
2) We would lose a lot of satellites and this would put a MAJOR crimp
in communications & credit cards. The satellites could not be simply
replaced, they would have to be re-engineered from scratch and possibly
the launch vehicle computers & navigation as well. It would take years
to replace even the essential satellites. Geosyncronous satellites
would presumably fare worst, goodby satellite TV. What would happen to
the GPS system?
Communications won't be severely affected. Existing land infrastructure
can probably take most of the load. So we just do without sat TV and
phones for a while, sucks but doesn't kill, as the saying goes it might
make us stronger - mentally :-)). I don't have any info on this but I
would bet the military have a few replacement satelites in store. Maybe
they would agree to carry CNN (more likely Fox).
3) If close enough, the cosmic rays hitting the atmosphere will
generate EMP so there is the chance of losing ground based electronics
and the power grid. That would make recovery a real problem. The
telephone system should be less effected and the fibre optics grids
should be unaffected.
Gamma rays cause EMP.
Free men own guns, slaves don't -YEAH THEY DO
This addresses the effects of supernovae:
http://stupendous.rit.edu/richmond/answers/snrisks.txt
.
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