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Chinese Lasers Blind US Satelites

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the do-not-look-directly-into-laser-beam-with-your-remaining-eye dept.

SniperClops writes, "China has fired high-power lasers at U.S. spy satellites flying over its territory in what experts see as a test of Chinese ability to blind the spacecraft, according to sources." The article mentions the reluctance of the U.S. administration to talk about this "asymmetric" effort by the Chinese military.

13 of 739 comments (clear)

  1. What I really want to know... by Tsagadai · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As does alot of the world not in the united states but still grounded under it's definition of right and wrong is why can't a foreign self governing nation control its own airspace and space space. If I built a spy satellite and orbitted it over the united states I would be a terrorist and bombed in seconds. Why the difference for china?

    1. Re:What I really want to know... by Yvanhoe · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It surely may sound ironic in the case of China, but : a sovereign nation has a right to privacy.

      --
      The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
    2. Re:What I really want to know... by LittleBigLui · · Score: 5, Insightful
      What if these satelites were above that point?


      What's the problem with the chinese shining their lasers at space that nobody owns anyway?
      --
      Free as in mason.
    3. Re:What I really want to know... by miyako · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Nukes aren't really ok for anybody to have, but being that the cat is out of the bag, the only reason it is ok is because of the whole MAD thing. Of course, mutually assured destruction is only a deterrent if the other guy cares about being blown up.
      I can't say much for North Korea's mindset (maybe they are just their own special brand of insane?) but for the militant islamist countries, they would certainly prefer everyone dead over both they and the "infidels" being alive.

      --
      Famous Last Words: "hmm...wikipedia says it's edible"
    4. Re:What I really want to know... by russ1337 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I honestly believe the US is more likley to use a Nuke before any of the above mentioned. Any of the states using a nuke will result in their elimination - deterance. We also know the US is not affraid to strike pre-emptivley. Plus they've talked of wanting to use 'tactical nukes' against Iran.

    5. Re:What I really want to know... by Shakrai · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It surely may sound ironic in the case of China, but : a sovereign nation has a right to privacy.

      I'll remember that the next time they try to steal nuclear technology from us.

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  2. Temporary blindness by MichaelSmith · · Score: 4, Insightful

    From TFA:

    acknowledges China has the ability to blind U.S. satellites, thanks to a powerful ground-based laser capable of firing a beam of light at an optical reconnaissance satellite to keep it from taking pictures as it passes overhead.

    So its a bit like saturating a camera with light so it can't take good pictures, but once it moves on it should be OK.

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
  3. Re:Eventually... by finkployd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The Chinese can launch satelites, put men into orbit, have nuclear weapons, are financing most of our balance or payments thanks to Bush

    Honestly, did the world just begin for many of you people in 2000? Look I'm no fan of Bush, but it is not like prior to 2000 the Chinese held none of our assets, the Islamic extremists loved us, and the federal government held civil liberties in high regard. You know, EVERYTHING is not Bush's fault.

    Finkployd

  4. How is this interesting? by Flying+pig · · Score: 4, Insightful
    A spy satellite is a near object, Mars isn't. A spy satellite was made by someone on Earth for the exact purpose of invading the privacy of someone else on Earth not subject to the same laws as the manufacturer, and it seems to me that the someone else has the right to disable it with proportionate force at the time when it is trying to invade their privacy. Mars is not a human manufactured object...

    Of course, reading my own definition, this would justify Afghans and Iraqis seeking to expel the Americans and the British, just as it justified the French Resistance in WW2, and the American Colonists in the 1770s.

    At what point is the present US administration going to face up the fact that it is the self-appointed global hegemon and that five and a half billion people disagree with that?

    --
    Pining for the fjords
    1. Re:How is this interesting? by HighOrbit · · Score: 4, Insightful

      it seems to me that the someone else has the right to disable it with proportionate force at the time when it is trying to invade their privacy

      So does this mean that the US has the right to disable Chinese "fishing" vessels outside the 12 mile limit on the open seas if the "fishing" vessels are covered with anttenae? No, because that would be an act of war or piracy because nations have a right to sail on the open seas, just as nations have a right to have satellites in space. You are justifying a violation of treaties governing the neutrality of space.

  5. could this be a bluff? by petes_PoV · · Score: 5, Insightful
    OK, we've heard from the report that the Chinese have tried to blind a satellite. Until we can actually see the resulting images - which will simply never happen, how can we or the chinese know that they've succeeded in stopping photos being taken.

    If I was in the US spying game and I know that someone was trying to blind my satellites, I'd say "Oh no, you've stopped me photographing your secret installations" even if the attempts were unsuccessful. That way the target thinks they've stopped the spy satellites, whereas in practice, the lasers may be completely ineffectual.

    Until the Chinese spies can get hold of genuine, spoiled, satellite photos (that weren't staged/planted) they cannot be sure they have suceeded.

    --
    politicians are like babies' nappies: they should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons
  6. Re:Um, they can hit the ones they can see... by Woek · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I don't think so. First of all, they have plenty of other issues to worry about when designing the exterior of a satellite, like reflective material for thermal management, or solar cells for generating power. Secondly, I would imagine that the trajectories of all satellites are available to all agencies that launch stuff into space. Imaging a soyuz crashing into one of those massive spy satellites with a relative velocity of several kilometers per second...

  7. Why Iran and Korea can't have nukes by mikep.maine · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I am not a fan of nuclear weapons anywhere, but this is a dangerous world with people who *literally* want to send us to hell or to see our redeemer. They will buy and use nukes -- and Iran and Korea are all too willing to give or sell them away. In the business where others are willing to kill us, I want to be working to disarm them, period. The United States has few options -- and both the Europeans and Asian nations that are not China have largely stayed out of fray hoping once again to let teh US carry the burden of disarming. A united front would really sincerely help the world. It would even help the Iranians and Koreans who as a people would rather plan crops than seed nuclear bombs.

    --
    Mike www.sharecube.com