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China Tests Anti-Satellite Laser Weapon

Posted by samzenpus on from the the-people's-laser dept.

schnippy writes "U.S. intelligence agencies believe that China has successfully tested an anti-satellite weapon by destroying one of their old weather satellites. The test, if confirmed, would be an order of magnitude more provocative than earlier reports of Chinese blinding lasers being. Arms Control Wonk has a good writeup on what this will mean for U.S. policy."

4 of 552 comments (clear)

  1. LASER weapon? by hasmael · · Score: 5, Informative
    From TFA: " ...weather satellite target with a kinetic kill vehicle launched on board a ballistic missile"

    That doesn't sound like a LASER weapon.

  2. not a laser by kae_verens · · Score: 4, Informative

    from the article: "destroying an aging Chinese weather satellite target with a kinetic kill vehicle launched on board a ballistic missile."

    Lasers are not kinetic weapons. They are light-based.

    The topic-writer appears to have been confused by the article mentioning that an earlier test used a laser to temporarily brighten a satellite.

  3. Re:Just what the world needs... by David_Shultz · · Score: 3, Informative

    Just what the world needs...
    ...another cold war.

    you can thank the USA for that.

    the Project for a New American Century (PNAC), a conservative think tank whose members include Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Paul Wolfowitz (among other prominent republicans) places among its goals, the proposal to "control the new "international commons" of space and "cyberspace" and pave the way for the creation of a new military service -- U.S. Space Forces -- with the mission of space control." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_for_the_New_A merican_Century

    Of course, we're talking about military control and that means in large part getting the upper hand in terms of information (WWII was won because of information). Hence the US fascination with spy satellites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lacrosse_(satellite); http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zirconic; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samos_(satellite); http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasar_(satellite); http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vela_(satellite).

    and let's not forget the National Missile Defense program, which will cost 53b US from the years 2005 to 2009 ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weaponization_of_spac e).

  4. Re:Funny that we should view this as "provocative" by teh+kurisu · · Score: 4, Informative

    The simple fact is, the US policy is not about a hegemony, nor is it about denying anyone else access.

    That's exactly what the policy is about. From the BBC:

    "The United States will preserve its rights, capabilities, and freedom of action in space... and deny, if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to US national interests."

    Translation: we reserve the right to put weapons in space, and we will deny you the right to do so. Good on China for creating an intelligent solution! Hope they patented it.