Q. Which one of the following statements best reflects the idea behind the “Fractional Orbital Bombardment System” often talked about in media?
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.
Correct Answer: c) A missile is put into a stable orbit around the Earth and deorbits over a target on the Earth.
Question from UPSC Prelims 2022 GS Paper
Explanation :
Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS)
The Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS) is a concept related to military strategy and weapons systems. The idea behind FOBS is to place a nuclear-armed missile into a low Earth orbit, allowing it to travel over the South Pole and approach targets from directions that are not covered by traditional early warning radar systems, which typically expect attacks to come over the North Pole. This system would allow a missile to be deorbited to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and strike a target almost anywhere on the globe with little warning.
Here’s a breakdown of why the correct answer is “A missile is put into a stable orbit around the Earth and deorbits over a target on the Earth”:
– The FOBS is not designed to counter asteroids, so the option regarding a hypersonic missile launched to explode an asteroid is not correct.
– The system does not involve landing a spacecraft on another planet, so the option about a spacecraft making several orbital motions before landing is not relevant.
– The FOBS is not related to placing a probe on a comet, so the option about a spacecraft moving along with a comet is incorrect.
– The correct answer is that a missile is put into a stable orbit around the Earth and then deorbits over a target on the Earth. This reflects the actual purpose of the FOBS, which is to use space as a medium to deliver a nuclear payload to a target on Earth in an unexpected manner, potentially evading missile defense systems.
The FOBS was primarily developed during the Cold War by the Soviet Union as a means to ensure their ability to strike targets even in the face of improving missile defenses. While the system was never fully operational, the concept has been revisited in discussions about modern military capabilities, particularly with the advent of new hypersonic missile technology.
