Hmmmmm... I see no individual element that hasn't been used before, but the whole is something new. I love it when that happens.
As for a grid of lasers being too noticeable to use as an acceleration drive, that's true only if they emit in the visible spectrum. Make them UV lasers and the only evidence on Earth of their use is the people below Hacker's Heaven getting a slightly deeper suntan than expected. (There are enough biomods and AIs in space that somebody Up should be able to see UV, but I doubt your avatar cares about that.)
As for being noticed, there's a one-in-three chance that the L5 colonies will be in the right part of the sky to see any given launch. If they do see you, then at least Stellvia will say "hello"...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
As for a grid of lasers being too noticeable to use as an acceleration drive, that's true only if they emit in the visible spectrum. Make them UV lasers and the only evidence on Earth of their use is the people below Hacker's Heaven getting a slightly deeper suntan than expected. (There are enough biomods and AIs in space that somebody Up should be able to see UV, but I doubt your avatar cares about that.)
As for being noticed, there's a one-in-three chance that the L5 colonies will be in the right part of the sky to see any given launch. If they do see you, then at least Stellvia will say "hello"...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012