Thursday, January 18, 2018

China Wants To Deploy Lasers In Space To Destroy Space Junk. Could This Also Be Used As A Weapon?


Popular Mechanics: Could a Chinese Space Junk Laser Double as a Weapon?

A space laser could be useful for dealing with more than just junk.

There are two reactions to a paper regarding space junk that was published this week by researchers at China’s Air Force Engineering University. One, it seems good that the spacefaring nations of the world are considering ways to clean up an increasingly cluttered low Earth orbit. And the Chinese are putting forward a new plan, one that proposes to use a laser to zap the debris. Then there’s the other reaction—maybe it's not just about space junk.

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WNU Editor: Just a side note, but the biggest creation of space debris came from an anti-satellite missile test by China in 2007 .... 2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test (Wikipedia).

More News On China Wanting To Deploy Lasers In Space To Destroy Space Junk

Is China Really Planning to Destroy Space Junk With Lasers? -- Gizmodo
China has a plan to clean up space junk with lasers -- Phys.org
Trash-Blasting Lasers Could Help Clean Up Space Junk, China Says -- Live Science
China Plans to Destroy Space Junk With Giant Lasers -- Newsweek
China plans to destroy space debris using giant orbital lasers -- IBTimes

Update: The Chinese Are On The Verge Of Dominating A New Domain: Near Space (Task and Purpose)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wait how do you get rid of all kinds of material with a laser? OK let's say you can nearly evaporate material, won't that form micro pellets in space and carpet the entire orbit? At least sounds like a potential for a Michael Bay action flick :)

And about if it can be used as weapon: Duh!!