From Russia with love: project "Star of Bethlehem"

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Moscow's plans for new year's eve (from CNN)

"Among the most grandest of those (plans), albeit unlikely sounding, is a project called "Star of Bethlehem" -- a proposal to use missles and satellites to create a cosmic cloud, a display that would appear to be a fireworks show in space. There's even talk of having missles drop 220-pound capsules full of presents on five international cities. Estimate price tag: $12.5 million."

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Any additional news on this?

-- duh (nevermind@whatever.com), November 29, 1999

Answers

Sounds kinda rediculous to me but, maybe that Siberian cold has gotten to them. I say bogus. Any nation that would make a launch at that time is inviting trouble from "trigger fingers" across the globe. Who in their right mind would chance launching an ICBM full of candy, or whatever ?

Sounds like a bogus report from some source. Common sense would dictate scrapping that idea.

-- Rob (maxovrdrv51@hotmail.com), November 29, 1999.


Anybody know the approximate weight of a one megaton warhead?

what would be the effect of a 220 lb metal canister glowing red hot hitting a skyscraper at 5000 miles per hour?

-- Nikoli Krushev (doomsday@y2000.com), November 29, 1999.


A few years back, there were plans to mark the millennium with something in orbit. I forget the details, but it was cancelled partly because astronomers screamed. It was going to be brighter than the full moon, and have an erratic orbit as well.

Anyone else remember more details?

-- You Know... (notme@nothere.junk), November 29, 1999.


link?

-- BS (what@a.load), November 29, 1999.

--You Know---

I believe it was the French planning to do some sort of Add that would have lit up the night sky in North hemisphere for 7 months like a dozen full moons...Woulda been interesting...

-- RJ (LtPita@aol.com), November 29, 1999.



This was my husband's program and was to be a suprise. &*%$# journalists! No flyby for them.

-- Mrs. Claus (Santa@NrthPl.com), November 29, 1999.

Nik,

These days for 220lbs you could probably get a re-entry vehicle with more than 1MT yield. However this is an educated guess, missilery is not one of my past vocations.

But I can gaurantee that for 500lbs you can a 1MT yield air-dropped device. I used to be able to get consistent 3-meter accuracy with them. They were part of a past vocation.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), November 29, 1999.


How about a nice 220 lb EMP device?

-- John (jh@NotReal.ca), November 29, 1999.

Sounds like a good cover for a suprise attack!

-- Gambler (scotanna@arosnet.com), November 29, 1999.

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