How would a realistic space warfare looks like?

[Drvladivostok]

Since humanity is Progressing Geometrically in terms of Technology and there seems to be a reemergence in interest toward Space travel with all these private companies, now I imagine if we don't have a nuclear war in the next century and with the increasing futility to fight climate change we might have an increased interest in space colonialization (that is If the technology permits it). So it's just about time when our space ambition match with nation's conflicting interest. How would it look like?

I would imagine the "Fighter Ships" would literally be thousands of km apart just launching computer guided Nuclear Warhead at each other, it won't look like the Star Destroyer in Star wars since a few tactical nuke smuggled in can knock out those, so we're probably talking about less than 100 crews, mostly run by computers, or if precision and propulsion technology advances we might not need nukes. Fighter Ships and Colony ships are distinguished since you wouldn't want your populace to be anywhere near when the nukes explode.

Than what about planet siege? How would a planet invasion looks like? There won't be many, we just need to throw nukes down from orbit, or just throw asteroids via detachable rockets and hurl them toward the targets, however this might be a problem if we want to save up potentially useful infrastructure, also being in orbit might still pose as a danger since ground forces might use ASAT missiles which would no doubt be of abundance since we already can shoot down satellites with our technology.

 

[Hadoblado]

I think you're right about small ships, but there will still be larger ships where required e.g. logistics.

Time will be treated a bit differently than in traditional wars because of the sheer amount of empty space and the time it takes to close distances. A lot will depend on how good at detecting threats people are able to get - if you can detect threats from weeks away like we can for asteroids, then a lot of the fight will be slower and more responsive.

I imagine the fighting will mostly be done by automated drones because they're much easier to stay in operation for long periods of time.

I'm not 100% clear on why "orbital" bombardment has to be orbital? Why put your ships at risk? Why not bomb from much farther away?

 

[Drvladivostok]

I'm not 100% clear on why "orbital" bombardment has to be orbital? Why put your ships at risk? Why not bomb from much farther away?

To mitigate defensive system of the planets, our current technology can detect terestrial object and calculate their trajectory, we even know Asteroid that might hit us seven years into the future (For example Apophis 99942).

If an Asteroid the size of the Empire State building is coming to Earth from Jupiter we can mount a plan to stop it, we can gather recourse, formulate plan, calculate the trajectory, and if we're quick we can intercept it when it reach near Mars by blowing it up/nudging it with rocket propulsion.

But if our orbit is blockaded that would stop any mitigating ability to intercept incoming attacks, the enemy can hurl kinetic bombardments deep from space to Atmosphere while they keep shooting down our attempt to intercept it, or they can just shoot down dozens or hundred of nukes, nuclear warheads are extremely small compared to asteroid so can be carried by the hundreds and extremely hard to shoot down. I imagine a possible strategy would be to send Fake warhead and after the enemy's defensive armaments are exausted you hurl the real warhead in the second wave.

 

[sushi]

gundams and giant robots

 

[Cognisant]

Most warfare is asymmetric, this has been true throughout history it's just that skirmishes aren't as notable as pitched battles and seiges.

Quite likely most conflicts will be swift, small scale and close quarters. Not because nobody can hit each other at long range, rather because "blow up the other guy" doesn't achieve much strategically. Not like infiltrating the enemy's capital ship, taking it over from the inside and holding their VIPS hostage.

gundams and giant robots

Yes.

 

[Rook]

the Expanse series has a good take on it as far as i have watched, even if there are zooky scifi aspects they handle void combat well imo. it's based on the novels of James(?) S. Corey, which i have yet to read

 

[scorpiomover]

So it's just about time when our space ambition match with nation's conflicting interest. How would it look like?

War over territory, like the Space Race.

I would imagine the "Fighter Ships" would literally be thousands of km apart just launching computer guided Nuclear Warhead at each other,

The nearest star is 40 trillion miles away. So if those fighter ships are from different colonies, they're more than 40 billion times as far apart. It would take lifetimes for one nuclear warhead to reach the other colony. So more than likely, colony A would launch thousands of self-guiding missiles.

Because of the distance, it would take YEARS before colony A would find out if their missiles were successful. So you'd only know if your parents won their war. Your kids would know if you won your war.

it won't look like the Star Destroyer in Star wars since a few tactical nuke smuggled in can knock out those, so we're probably talking about less than 100 crews, mostly run by computers, or if precision and propulsion technology advances we might not need nukes. Fighter Ships and Colony ships are distinguished since you wouldn't want your populace to be anywhere near when the nukes explode.

Than what about planet siege? How would a planet invasion looks like? There won't be many, we just need to throw nukes down from orbit, or just throw asteroids via detachable rockets and hurl them toward the targets, however this might be a problem if we want to save up potentially useful infrastructure, also being in orbit might still pose as a danger since ground forces might use ASAT missiles which would no doubt be of abundance since we already can shoot down satellites with our technology.

Yes. It would be useful if you intended to rebuild the planet's infrastructure from scratch.

It would be useful, if your planet had vast mineral resources, or was the only habitable planet in 100 light-years.

 

[ZenRaiden]

They will hurl twitter comments at each other.
I mean aliens have internet too you know!

 

[Cognisant]

We can already nuke each other, we can already drop bombs on the other side of the planet with a push of a button, we can already destroy anything outright no matter how big and durable it is.

So wars should never happen right?
Of if they do happen they'll be over as soon as they've begun, right?
Obviously that's not how it goes down.

The same will be doubly true for space combat, you could send an intelligent missile halfway across the galaxy to hit a specific target but why would you? Even as a terrorist attack it's pointless, even if your missile hits the target the terrorist organization that sent it has probably long faded into irrelevance.

War over territory, like the Space Race.

More likely infrastructure, there's plenty of space in space and no shortage of raw materials either, which makes these things practically worthless. But a space station made of several hundred tons of processed materials now that has value, especially if it's a station that serves some kind of purpose like a communications or energy relay, or a materials processing/refining facility, or a factory.

In which case you don't want to destroy the station, you want to capture it intact and someone wants to maintain control of it but they'd be willing to let you capture it intact if that means they can re-capture it intact later.

Massive dreadnoughts bristling with railguns and nuclear missiles are naught but an embarrassing expense when the enemy has just captured a vital bit of infrastructure (e.g. a solar mirror array keeping an otherwise uninhabitable planet habitable) and you're forced to surrender unconditionally lest they turn the mirrors dooming billions of people on the planet below to a fiery death.

 

[scorpiomover]

We can already nuke each other, we can already drop bombs on the other side of the planet with a push of a button, we can already destroy anything outright no matter how big and durable it is.

So wars should never happen right?
Of if they do happen they'll be over as soon as they've begun, right?
Obviously that's not how it goes down.

The same will be doubly true for space combat, you could send an intelligent missile halfway across the galaxy to hit a specific target but why would you? Even as a terrorist attack it's pointless, even if your missile hits the target the terrorist organization that sent it has probably long faded into irrelevance.

War over territory, like the Space Race.

More likely infrastructure, there's plenty of space in space and no shortage of raw materials either, which makes these things practically worthless.

Plenty of planets. Not many habitable ones. Probably few that also have abundant raw materials that are used in tech gadgets like gold and iridium.

But a space station made of several hundred tons of processed materials now that has value, especially if it's a station that serves some kind of purpose like a communications or energy relay, or a materials processing/refining facility, or a factory.

A space station is a giant metal can in a vacuum. Even a tiny hull breach will leach out all the oxygen, and kill everyone inside, which will probably start all-out retaliation.

In which case you don't want to destroy the station, you want to capture it intact

If you breach the hull, everyone inside dies of lack of oxygen. Their dying wish would be to activate a self-destruct so their murderers die as well.

and someone wants to maintain control of it but they'd be willing to let you capture it intact if that means they can re-capture it intact later.

They have the same problem re-capturing it, as you have capturing it in the first place.

You might stand a chance if you tell them that you'll breach the hull unless they surrender and then you'll return them to your home planet.

But as soon as they get picked up, they can come back with an armed ship, and make the same threat unless you surrender as well.

Massive dreadnoughts bristling with railguns and nuclear missiles are naught but an embarrassing expense when the enemy has just captured a vital bit of infrastructure (e.g. a solar mirror array keeping an otherwise uninhabitable planet habitable)

You can always build another mirror.

and you're forced to surrender unconditionally lest they turn the mirrors dooming billions of people on the planet below to a fiery death.

Only if they make their Environmentally-friendly power stations into Death Stars that can fire death rays that could kill millions of your own people.