Rods From God/Orbital Kinetic Bombardment - Real Sci-Fi Weapons

The weapon systems we see in science fiction inspire awe, fear and wonder about the power of humanity and the boundaries we push. As technology advances, sometimes real life technology comes closer than we expect to the capabilities imagined in science fiction. 

Today's episode is the first in the series where we talk about real science-fiction weapons. The subject is the orbital kinetic bombardment system - sometimes referred to ominously as "Rods From God". This system imagines tungsten rods the size of telephone poles dropped from orbit to create an impact rivaling nuclear weapons, without any explosives or fallout. Although this system is not real in the sense that it's ever been deployed (as far as we know), it has been designed and pitched for very real purposes.