[6][7] Project Thor was an idea for a weapons system that launches telephone pole-sized kinetic projectiles made from tungsten from Earth's orbit to damage targets on the ground.
Such a system could also be equipped with sensors to detect incoming anti-ballistic missile-type threats and relatively light protective measures to use against them (e.g. hit-to-kill missiles or megawatt-class chemical laser).
[27] In The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966) by Robert A. Heinlein, the lunar colonists repurpose a mass driver to launch large rocks at Earth as kinetic bombardment weapons.
[28] In The Mote in God's Eye (1974) by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle, kinetic orbital bombardment is depicted as a strategic military option, utilizing high-velocity projectiles launched from space to inflict devastation on planetary targets.
The novel describes their use in planetary sieges, where spacecraft or orbital platforms fire dense, inert projectiles to penetrate defenses and infrastructure.
[30] In Nemesis Games (2015) by James S.A. Corey, kinetic orbital bombardment is depicted through the repurposing of civilian asteroid mining technology, where factions redirect space rocks as improvised weapons.
Unlike traditional purpose-built kinetic strikes, this approach uses industrial infrastructure to covertly manipulate asteroids, turning them into high-mass projectiles without dedicated military systems.
This highlights the novel intersection of commercial space operations and warfare, showcasing how everyday resource extraction methods can be weaponized in interplanetary conflict.
[33][34] Essentially large coilguns, MACs are capable of firing a variety of ammunition types varying on the model and bore, ranging from hyper-dense kinetic kill slugs to sub-caliber rounds to semi-autonomous drone missiles.
Unlike conventional orbital strikes, this event highlights the destructive potential of natural celestial mechanics, framing kinetic bombardment as an existential threat.
[36] In Death's End (2010) by Cixin Liu, kinetic orbital bombardment is depicted through the use of near-light-speed projectiles, where objects are accelerated to relativistic velocities to maximize destructive energy.
These strikes are capable of triggering planetary-scale catastrophes, as even small masses, when moving at a significant fraction of the speed of light, release immense kinetic energy upon impact.
Unlike traditional orbital bombardment, which relies on gravity-assisted or mass-driver-launched projectiles, these attacks are executed with extreme precision using advanced acceleration technologies.