Which one of the following statements best reflects the idea behind the “Fractional Orbital Bombardment System” often talked about in media?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2022 Prelims]
(a) A hypersonic missile is launched into space to counter the asteroid approaching the Earth and explode it in space.
(b) A spacecraft lands on another planet after making several orbital motions.
(c) A missile is put into a stable orbit around the Earth and deorbits over a target on the Earth.
(d) A spacecraft moves along a comet with the same speed and places a probe on its surface.
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
- A Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS) is a warhead delivery system that uses a low earth orbit towards its target destination.
- The Soviet Union first developed FOBS as a nuclear-weapons delivery system in the 1960s. It was one of the first Soviet efforts to use space to deliver nuclear weapons.
- In August 2021, the People’s Republic of China tested a weapon that combined a FOBS with a hypersonic glide vehicle.