Cute but no. In order to "fire" a projectile from space, you would have to de-orbit it first. That takes a retro burn to slow from 22,000 mph. Remember, orbit is a function equivalent to centrifugal force, not altitude. Then, said rods would need guidance. Engineering says nope.

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Cute but no. In order to "fire" a projectile from space, you would have to de-orbit it first. That takes a retro burn to slow from 22,000 mph. Remember, orbit is a function equivalent to centrifugal force, not altitude. Then, said rods would need guidance. Engineering says nope. (www.military.com)

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Pretty much. It's like hitting a sand castle vertically with a mallet to collapse it vs at an angle to throw sand everywhere...just at 22,000mph rather than 22mph.

The only reason it never made it off the drawing board is high cost, niche use.

If you want a well known example from fiction, read Heinlein's "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress". It was improvised in that case, but the principle was essentially the same.

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