[quote=ASTA]
I’m unsure what laser technology is like in this particular setting, but I think it should be noted that lasers take time to destroy a target; lasers are dissimilar to standard ordinance, such as conventional cannons, coilgun, railgun, or any of the two unique gun types I listed in the post predating this one, in that they do not have the ability to score a disabling hit upon an incoming missile with a single round. Cannons and the sort do (for obvious reasons). If you do have access to lasers of such high caliber, I will begin to question how you’re dealing with the waste heat and how the optical technology you’re using in such a laser is able to withstand a beam of such intensity without failing. Depending on the pulse rate of the laser, the spectrum you’re using, the material your laser is trying to burn through, the presence of suitable electronic countermeasures/stealth technology (disrupting the laser’s fire-control systems by jamming the space station’s radar suite, IR-targeting module or otherwise creating a very stealthy cruise missile of sorts), your station could fall to an incoming missile without even realizing it. Missiles could also be deployed on the other side of the planet and ride the Earth’s orbit towards your station—engines cold and undetectable--- with the missile’s stealth systems engaged until it was within suitable striking distance. The missile could even be equipped with an ablative surface that takes the brunt of the laser beam by burning away in the process. An active-cooling casing could also be integrated into the missile system, which would allow it to further resist laser fire. Also, point-defense is not infallible. The modern CIWS ()—which is mounted on modern warships to protect them against anti-ship missiles—has a relatively poor success rate. You could increase the chances of scoring a hit against a missile by implementing overlapping coverage with many CIWS-type units, but then the enemy could simply saturate your point-defense by launching literal missile swarms. You can’t shoot all of them down, Wilson. That’s not how real-life PD works. Even railgun point-defense is not perfect, because you still need to keep in mind that railgun rounds still are constrained by travel time. It’s rather foolish to think that missiles suddenly stop developing because railguns and lasers come on the scene. I’m going to assume that this energy screen is a standard science fiction energy shield. When something hits it, one of several things will occur:1)	The shield will lose energy and eventually collapse from enduring too much energy. Suitable time passing will cause the shield to reappear. 2)	The shield will stop the projectile from penetrating, but it will not stop the projectile’s momentum from being imparted onto your station. Ballistic vests work on this same basic principle, in that while a round may not penetrate the vest, the ribs are still broken, bruises still form and the body’s internal organs may suffer damage. However, the wearer of the vest still lives.3)	You’re trying to pass this shield off as an invincible barrier of doom, in which case you need to reexamine your nation and correct it as Duck instructs you too. As for armor:A nuclear missile is pretty much going to vaporize whatever you’re coating your station in. Did you read any of the links that I posted? They’re rather interesting reads if I do say so myself. Try Googling the effects of a nuclear explosion, or perhaps question Google about the temperatures generated by the detonation of a nuclear armament. Also, you can still fire from a deep bunker. Why wouldn't you be able to? Have you ever seen a shore gun emplacement before? What about the ballistic missile sites that are buried around the United States?
[/quote]

And this is also discounting the capabilities of a MIRV missile, which would further confound said point-defense systems.

And, well, push comes to shove it wouldn't be uneconomical to just shove an asteroid into Ceres Independence installations, if we're already at the point of space combat.