The Germans during World War II attempted to design and build a “solar cannon”, a huge mirror, that is, which would be placed in orbit and concentrate solar radiation into a powerful beam, able to burn the cities and not only, of the enemies. A giant mirror in orbit looks like something out of science fiction. But could there be? The answer is yes. According to a Life magazine article published in 1945, American experts in Germany after the war concluded that the Germans had taken steps to create a "solar cannon".
The huge mirror would concentrate the sun's rays into a terrifyingly powerful beam on a specific point on the earth's surface with the aim of setting enemy cities on fire and turning them into… ash, but even boiling the oceans! The original idea belonged to Hermann Obert who inspired it in 1923. The inspired mirror would have a diameter of over a kilometer and could, according to its originator, ventilate entire cities.
Obert secured funding of 3 million marks at the time for his plan. But he stated that it would take 15 years to realize it... The construction materials would have to be transported into space by rockets and the mirror would be assembled there. The idea of solar "guns" (mirrors) naturally belonged to the Greek multi-scientist Archimedes. From there, Orbat was inspired to create the "ultimate weapon", as he said. “My space mirror works like the mirrors the students use to blind the teacher. ”
Hermann Obert was a German, born in what was once Austria-Hungary, in 1894, and is considered one of the pioneering space scientists. At the age of 14, he built his first rocket model and collaborated in the V2 rocket program. After the war, he was "abducted" to the USA together with his student, the famous Wernher von Braun, and collaborated in the NASA rocket program. He retired from active duty in 1962 and died in the US in 1989. The Allies discovered his plans for the "solar cannon" in 1945. According to them the huge mirror would be placed in orbit at an altitude of 35,785 km.
The cannon would be manned by a space station crew that would be equipped with rocket docking systems, but would have solar panels, even hydroponic gardens to grow. Allied investigators were left speechless by the details of the plans. Obert's plans may seem chimerical. But in 1999, Russia presented a plan to heat the ground using a solar mirror from space... The pioneer scientist's plan was not lucky based on the technology of the time. But now the chimeras have woken up for good...
Hermann Obert in 1950 in the USA.
The 1945 Life magazine article.
The space station that would serve the "cannon".