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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Orionblamblam" data-source="post: 358186" data-attributes="member: 90"><blockquote data-quote="edwest" data-source="post: 358156" data-attributes="member: 924">Paint would freeze rapidly.</blockquote>Depends somewhat on the paint, and how exactly you define "paint." It may be feasible to release a cloud of dust that sticks to the enemy spacecraft via static charge. But this may well be problamatic... as with magnetic mines and degaussing, it might be possible for a satellite to dump its charge and the dust simply floats off. Something more recognizable as "paint" will necessarily have a short lifespan before it either outgases the solvent and turns to dust, or the epoxy sets. But that's unlikely to be a major concern... a paint will last a few seconds, and that's all that's really needed.One approach might be to mix carbon black with a batch of commercial "cactus juice." This is a one-component resin that sets with heat. It's used to stabilize wood: you soak a piece of rotten, fragile wood with the stuff, get it thoughoughly soaked in, then wrap it in aluminum foil and pop it in a toaster over. Bake at 150 F for a few minutes and it sets solid. A spacecraft could carry a tank of this goop on board and either fling small baggies of the stuff at the enemy (bursting either on impact like paintballs, or prior to impact via proximity fuses), or directly spray it. It stays a thick, viscous liquid, outgasing slowly; but since it's a *black* liquid in full unadulterated sunlight, it'll get hot *fast* and set up a black epoxy coating on the target.Or just shoot mud at the enemy. Hell, put a monkey in your inspector and have it fling its own poop at the enemy. That'll do the job.</blockquote>

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