The space race was military based, but at least it was somewhat wholesome in the outward appearance of trying to better humanity. We need another one of those.
How else do you think we became apex predators? We sure as hell didn't keep packs of wolves at bay with our fists. Security is a key requirement to enable all the eggheads to do egghead stuff without getting eaten.
Unless your argument is that there’s a distinction between classes of humans comparable to that between species, which is a... problematic position, so I hope that’s not what you’re claiming.
Maybe it's because it makes the militaries of non-nuclear states feel small.
As I understand it, the Soviet Union was way behind the US in modern electronics. Including targeting systems for reentry vehicles. But they were perhaps even ahead on launch capacity.
That's why they focused on such large bombs. They could deliver them, but they didn't need to worry so much about how accurately.
Wicked pollution but I think they could also get to Alpha Centuri at like 10% c or something like that. Human-lifetime achievable. Project was cancelled for a number of reasons, the top likely being the Atmosphere and Space Test Ban.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_(nuclear_propuls...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett_(nuclear_device)
2,100 produced.
[0]: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tsar+Bomba+hypocenter/@73....
As of 2014 there were 488 cities in the world with over a million people. If somehow even half of that arsenal was unleashed: 7x12x7=588 city centers (2 mile radius) could be wiped out instantly.
It's scary to think about anything that possibly can happen, will happen.. eventually..
