XPost: sci.military.moderated   
   From: pfaustin@bellsouth.net   
      
   "Greg" wrote   
   > "Dirk Bruere at Neopax"  wrote   
   > > A megaton nuke exploded in space will wipe out every bit of unshielded   
   > > electronics for around 800 miles around the ground zero.   
   > > That means computers, car ignition systems, telephones, radios, TVs etc   
   > > It would wipe out a modern nation's economy overnight.   
   >   
   > Many backup generator systems are unlikly to be affected. Wipe a   
   > modern nations economy--i doubt it. Unless the economy was already in   
   > big decline and fall. Life would go on.   
   >   
   > Note that many space based sats will *not* be affected ie   
   > geo-stationary sats   
      
   Actually, the prompt dose from a megaton exoatmospheric detonation would   
   kill every non-military geo-sat in line of sight. With no atmospheric   
   shielding, the dose rate would cause catastrophic damage to many systems at   
   that distance. Hardening against dose rate threats is very expensive and   
   only the military is willing to pay for it (and not on all platforms).   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)