DefenseNews.com – China Attempted To Blind U.S. Satellites With Laser – — Geez. and can you imagine the expense?
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.
It remains unclear how many times the ground-based laser was tested against U.S. spacecraft or whether it was successful.
But the combination of China’s efforts and advances in Russian satellite jamming capabilities illustrate vulnerabilities to the U.S. space network are at the core of U.S. Air Force plans to develop new space architectures and highly classified systems, according to sources.According to experts, lasers — depending on their power level — could blind electro-optical satellites like the giant Keyhole spacecraft or even interfere with radar satellites like the Lacrosse. Blinding, one source said, is different than disabling given the enormous power required to shoot a laser through the dense lower atmosphere and reach a fast-moving satellite in space. The hardware on the spacecraft can’t be changed given they’re in orbit, but software changes can help them weather disruptive attacks.
Russian jamming systems are publicly known — the Air Force destroyed such a system deployed to Iraq to keep American GPS guided bombs from finding their targets during the 2003. The site was destroyed by GPS guided bombs.
well they have to do *something* with all the walmart / organ trafficing money!
We are in an “invisible war”, with china both economically and militarily, and morally at least for now until the torture bill gets passed.
how hard is it for the U.S. to develop a system for future satellite systems that piggybacks a signal from Chinese laser stations that disable or destory’s the lasers themselves. the lasers would require a vast amounts of energy to fire those lasers and vast amounts of power to mantain the beam. heck, a cheap mirror could do the trick and send those lasers right back at the enemy, whoever it may be.
Either way, I’m more then certain the U.S. is looking or in the final stages of such a system
It remains unclear how many times the ground-based laser was tested against U.S. spacecraft or whether it was successful.
I am so happy that we have billions of dollars wrapped up in this hi-tech gear. 🙂
Whats funny is they can do this ith nobody knowing – unless the info is “leaked”.
Every time we flip them crap about human rights and copyright they can piss a laser beam at one of our satellites.
Blinding, one source said, is different than disabling given the enormous power required to shoot a laser through the dense lower atmosphere and reach a fast-moving satellite in space.
They don’t have to track it with the laser, just calculate where it will be in a pass, or two, and have the beam waiting for it. Cumulative damage over several passes should do the trick.
Interesting to see the start of the 2nd Cold War.
Anyone remember US Navy pilots complaining that Soviet ships were shining lasers at their cockpit, as they flew over Soviet naval excercises?
Or the Human Rights Watch report – from 2000 – on US systems designed for ‘blinding”?
http://www.hrw.org/reports/1995/Us2.htm
#1
You’re right. I’ve heard comments on TV the other night that buying Venezuelan oil is like giving money to the enemy… but they don’t mention that going to Wal-Mart indirectly feeds the People’s Liberation Army in China…
Yep, I agree, the 2nd Cold War has started. And it is with our biggest trading partner. Er, I meant importer.
But just try to buy anything not made in China. It is getting pretty damn difficult these days. You have to check every label. It is much easier to not buy Venezuelan oil. Just don’t buy from Citgo.
“Russian jamming systems are publicly known — the Air Force destroyed such a system deployed to Iraq to keep American GPS guided bombs from finding their targets during the 2003. The site was destroyed by GPS guided bombs.”
Sounds like someone got taken…
First on the satalite blinding. Do you really think that the DOJ hasn’t known about this for a while? Do you think that their newest and most top secret sats don’t already have some countermeasure against this? Come on guys, the military contrary to what many people think are not stupid, this is their job, and they are pretty good at it. I am willing to bet, that this little laser will work on the publicly known spysats, but the secret ones probably already have some kind of filter technology incorporated.
Secondly, about the gps jammers. If you are on the receiving end of a us air strike, putting up a gps jammer, is like saying “hey I’m over here, please drop a bomb on me, I will be more than happy to guide you right to my location.” Not to mention you either have to build small jammers, and keep them fairly close to the location you are trying to keep from being bombed, or you have to build a big jammer to cover a wide area, if you go big, you just make a bigger target for a HARM missile variant to strike.
They first tested the lasers on their Lenovo laptops.
Just equip each satellite with a mirror so they can reflect, the laser death ray, back on the laser complex itself, and blow it up.
“Just equip each satellite with a mirror so they can reflect, the laser death ray, back on the laser complex itself, and blow it up. ”
I volunteer to go up there and install the mirrors on each of the satellites. Shouldn’t be that hard eh?
I’ve heard comments on TV the other night that buying Venezuelan oil is like giving money to the enemy
From who, Mark Hymen?
That guy deserves a lot more negative attention.
Instead of blinding U.S. satellites spying over Chinese territory they should fight back with mind, not physical deterrence. America is watching them, correct? Well, show them something they do not want to see. It can be fake because satellite photos still are only two dimensional from the sky. They can build faux nuclear silos aimed at the White House. Remember the terracotta army that was blogged here a little while ago, well that is how to battle fear. America is fearful. The very act of spying demonstrates fear. Powerful people don’t care what others think or do because when the ACTUAL time comes, they are ready to respond to whatever comes their way. Only WEAK people have to search for knowledge of other’s “intent” which is also based on fear. China should build a new “terracotta” army of the 21st Century that would scare the bejesus of America. So now when U.S. spies look they will SEE the very fear that strikes their hearts and minds to begin with.
15 Only WEAK people have to search for knowledge of other’s “intent” which is also based on fear.
Hmmm, kind of like weapons inspectors in Iraq???
Sadaam played a good game of three-card-Monty with the world for years. He was so good at it, people actually thought they had evidence of WMDs. 🙂
China should build a new “terracotta” army of the 21st Century that would scare the bejesus of America
North Korea is leading the way, and Iran is coming on strong, while Cuba has dropped the ball… come on, Raul, kick it up a notch!