Space Marines to become reality?

[Queasy]

Link

As any battlefield commander will tell you, getting troops to the fight can be as difficult as winning it. And for modern-day soldiers, the sites of conflict are so far-flung, and the political considerations of even flying over another country so complicated, that rapid entry has become nearly impossible. If a group of Marine Corps visionaries have their way, however, 30 years from now, Marines could touch down anywhere on the globe in less than two hours, without needing to negotiate passage through foreign airspace. The breathtaking efficiency of such a delivery system could change forever the way the U.S. does battle.

The proposal, part of the Corps?s push toward greater speed and flexibility, is called Small Unit Space Transport and Insertion, or Sustain. Using a suborbital transport?that is, a vehicle that flies into space to achieve high travel speeds but doesn?t actually enter orbit?the Corps will be able, in effect, to instantaneously deliver Marine squads anywhere on Earth. The effort is led by Roosevelt Lafontant, a former Marine lieutenant colonel now employed by the Schafer Corporation, a military-technology consulting firm working with the Marines. Insertion from space, Lafontant explains, makes it possible for the Marines?typically the first military branch called on for emergency missions?to avoid all the usual complications that can delay or end key missions. No waiting for permission from an allied nation, no dangerous rendezvous in the desert, no slow helicopter flights over mountainous terrain. Instead, Marines could someday have an unmatched element of surprise, allowing them to do everything from reinforce Special Forces to rescue hostages thousands of miles away.

?Sustain is simply an ability to move Marines very rapidly from one place to another,? says Marine colonel Jack Wassink, director of the Corps?s Space Integration Branch in Arlington, Virginia, where the program is based. ?Space lends itself to that role.?

The program is quickly gaining traction. Congress has expressed interest, because of the obvious usefulness of the capability it promises. And the technologies necessary to make it happen, from hypersonic propulsion systems to new composite materials needed to make the vehicle lightweight yet strong, are in advanced development in military labs across the country. The Marines expect to fly a prototype in 15 years, most likely a two-stage system using a carrier aircraft that will launch a lander into orbit from high altitude. Production models could show up around 2030, a date that isn?t quite as far away as it seems. Consider that the F-22 Raptor fighter is now entering service after 22 years of development.

But the whole idea still rings of science fiction, and the question is whether its proponents can corral the various technologies together to make the project possible. ?Sustain is not a pipe dream,? Lafontant says. ?It just needs to gel.?

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Concept Art

 

[jmdeathsquad]

additional concept art Link

 

[Ika]

Sounds like a great idea, but it'll probably be prohibitively expensive.

 

[amish]

where are they going to land that thing? not every place in this world has an airport 15 minutes away...

 

[uhohs]

neato

 

[cirrhosis]

Like Dawn of War sub-orbitals?

Awesome!

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: cirrhosis
Like Dawn of War sub-orbitals?

Awesome!

dawn of war suborbitals + 40k space marines > chief.

give me some terminator armor and lightning claws, please!😀

and really, chief could be so badass (he is in the books), but he definitely isn't in the games 🙁

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: amish
where are they going to land that thing? not every place in this world has an airport 15 minutes away...

Sounds like they are planning on landing on local roadways.

 

[RedArmy]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: cirrhosis
Like Dawn of War sub-orbitals?

Awesome!

dawn of war suborbitals + 40k space marines > chief.

give me some terminator armor and lightning claws, please!😀

and really, chief could be so badass (he is in the books), but he definitely isn't in the games 🙁

F using the Space Marines, just use the orbital strike to end it all and whatever may be left over leave for the dreadnoughts

 

[TuxDave]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: cirrhosis
Like Dawn of War sub-orbitals?

Awesome!

dawn of war suborbitals + 40k space marines > chief.

give me some terminator armor and lightning claws, please!😀

and really, chief could be so badass (he is in the books), but he definitely isn't in the games 🙁

Yeah, after reading the books I'm embarassed how badly I play.

 

[Auryg]

Actually that sounds more like ODSTs from the Halo universe, not a Spartan 😉

 

[xanis]

I just read about this in the last issue. I think it has some serious potential, but it has a long way to go. The first thing that needs to happen is have the civilian sector work on a ship design. I'm thinking something along the lines of the Ansari X-Prize, since that was such a success. Speaking of the Ansari X-Prize, we know that sub-orbital space transport is not only possible, but feasible from the success of SpaceShipOne. Another thing that needs to happen is the security of the current international airspace regulations. IIRC, anything up to 50 miles high is considered that country's airspace, but above that it's all fair game. We need to share some of the wealth here with our allies and get the UN to secure the current airspace regulations.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: TuxDave

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: cirrhosis
Like Dawn of War sub-orbitals?

Awesome!

dawn of war suborbitals + 40k space marines > chief.

give me some terminator armor and lightning claws, please!😀

and really, chief could be so badass (he is in the books), but he definitely isn't in the games 🙁

Yeah, after reading the books I'm embarassed how badly I play.

haha not even that... chief is one slow m0f0! 😛

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: Auryg
Actually that sounds more like ODSTs from the Halo universe, not a Spartan 😉

Yes, but we all know that this will inevitably lead to Spartans. 😉

 

[ElFenix]

a very similar system would be loved by fedex. i suspect the courier industry would love it. 'need your package in tokyo in 6 hours?'

 

[SVT Cobra]

I read this in popSci also. very interesting, but they have been saying this for years now.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
a very similar system would be loved by fedex. i suspect the courier industry would love it. 'need your package in tokyo in 6 hours?'

just dont let UPS use it... your package would end up broken into 1000000 pieces

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: ElFenix
a very similar system would be loved by fedex. i suspect the courier industry would love it. 'need your package in tokyo in 6 hours?'

just dont let UPS use it... your package would end up broken into 1000000 pieces

nah, it'd get broken and then lost in space