While admiring the StarShips being built using shipyard techniques (once upon a long time ago I was a marine machinery mechanic), I had a thought for the noosphere:
Suppose the SpaceX StarShip succeeds brilliantly, and suppose the USAF wants some, and wants to arm them? I could picture ejection ports for typical AAMs and SAMs (Sparrow, Sidewinder, Standard, to name a few) which would work with only minor, mostly software, modification. Maybe a rotary missile dispenser in the cargo bay? For close in work, maybe a deployable sponson with a 25mm recoilless rifle, maybe even a couple of retractable ball turrets with machine guns for defense while landed on the Moon, Mars, or Ganymede?
Then suppose USN wanted some. With nuclear engines running on methane. Plenty of range to defend our corporate entities as they begin mining operations in the Jovian Trojan Asteroids and beyond…
Gee, I wish I was young again (or, better still, could be made young again)! A high-end mechanic with advanced IT skills and vast experience writing users’ manuals? I’m sure the Navy could find a job for me again!
While admiring the StarShips being built using shipyard techniques (once upon a long time ago I was a marine machinery mechanic), I had a thought for the noosphere:
Suppose the SpaceX StarShip succeeds brilliantly, and suppose the USAF wants some, and wants to arm them? I could picture ejection ports for typical AAMs and SAMs (Sparrow, Sidewinder, Standard, to name a few) which would work with only minor, mostly software, modification. Maybe a rotary missile dispenser in the cargo bay? For close in work, maybe a deployable sponson with a 25mm recoilless rifle, maybe even a couple of retractable ball turrets with machine guns for defense while landed on the Moon, Mars, or Ganymede?
Then suppose USN wanted some. With nuclear engines running on methane. Plenty of range to defend our corporate entities as they begin mining operations in the Jovian Trojan Asteroids and beyond…
Gee, I wish I was young again (or, better still, could be made young again)! A high-end mechanic with advanced IT skills and vast experience writing users’ manuals? I’m sure the Navy could find a job for me again!