Nothung

For the satellite strikes in EDF 5, see Request Satellites

The Satellite Orbit Weapon Nothung (pronounced no-tung) is a powerful orbital cannon battery that the Air Raider can call on for artillery support in Earth Defense Force 2025 and Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair.

Description
The orbiting cannon battery is equipped with two main weapons, the continuous-beam "Satellite Blaster" and the wide-range "Spritefall" cannon. It seems it is not supposed to be used by the Air Raider since the Operator states their access to it is unauthorised, not that this stops her from firing it anyway.

The satellite's ultimate weapon is the "Laguna Blaster," an incredibly wide-range laser strike that will fire indiscriminately if not targeted, in which case all of its lasers will deflect towards the aiming point.

Nothung counts as normal artillery and is still disabled by events in the missions Brute Force and City of Horror, even though it makes little sense for this to happen either time. More obviously, it also cannot be used underground.

The satellite is only mentioned once during the course of the game's missions, in the final mission, Star Eaters. Here it is said to be the only such satellite that survived the Ravagers' passage through Earth's orbit, and is used to shoot down a Mothership approaching the area where Storm Team is fighting the Ravager Brain. This critical shot disables the satellite, though the Air Raider can still call for satellite fire as normal after this happens.

In 2025 DLC 3 mission 11 Aerial Bombing (DLC 2 for 4.1 mission 10 Bombing Run), however, the EDF actually makes use of the satellite, constantly firing Spritefall shots (which are misidentified as Satellite Blaster shots) to support a group of besieged infantry that Storm Team are assisting.

Calls for Support
For the final weapon in the satellite strike category, see Rule of God

Satellite Blaster
Focused attack targeted directly at the point marked by the Guide Kit, damage only through contact with the beam. The beam can be re-targeted while active by designating a new mark with the Guide Kit; if left alone, it will fire at the marked point until it expires.

The Satellite Blaster fires at 20 shots / sec, meaning its effect time is 30 seconds.

Spritefall
Area attack similar to cannon strikes from the Artillery Team and Whale, centred on the point marked with the Guide Kit. Cannot be re-targeted.

Laguna Blaster
Unfocused area attack that will attack anything on the map at random regardless of allegiance with small laser bolts if left alone, can be focused using the Guide Kit.

Trivia

 * Nothung is the name used in Richard Wagner's translation of The Ring of the Nibelung for the Norse hero Sigurd's sword Gram, with which he slew the dragon Fafnir.
 * The "Laguna Blaster" is probably supposed to be the "Ragna Blaster:" this is a fairly common translation error from Japanese (which, being a language where each letter represents a syllable rather than a vowel or consonant sound, cannot do something like "gn" without adding a vowel in between), and would fit the Norse theme better, being a reference to Ragnarok, the final battle.
 * Oddly, the Laguna Blaster uses the "weird scientist" voice cues for Rule of God rather than the Operator.
 * Nothung's strikes are actually capable of damaging the Brain without getting rid of the Earth Eaters protecting it first. The Satellite Blaster needs to be aimed at one edge of the Brain since otherwise the top of the beam will not be touching the Brain's weak point.
 * The Laguna Blaster also ignores the Mothership's armor and can damage the core any time it is revealed. This is almost certainly not intentional behavior.