Image 1:) Artist's conception of a Soviet space laser. (Image credit: U.S. National Archives)
Satellites spot for a Russian new laser station. That station is developed, almost certainly for ASAT (Anti-satellite) weapon research. The laser weapons that can destroy the satellites from orbit are real. The high-power laser systems that can aim laser rays by using mirrors are a threat to almost all satellites in the orbital trajectory. The effective distance of a laser weapon depends on its power.
And another thing is the wavelength that the laser system uses. The megawatt-scale carbon dioxide lasers are kilometer-length systems. At the end of the exit point of the laser is the mirror. That is used to aim the laser ray to the right point. If those lasers are in an "X"-shaped formation that allows that laser can cover the entire sky. That means the system must not turn the entire laser. That allows using of kilometers-long lasers.
Turning the mirror is enough for aiming the laser ray to the right point. The cooling system denies the melting of the mirror. There are claiming that the laser system is meant to destroy satellites. Are not dangerous for people on the ground. But the fact is that the power of the laser system determines how dangerous it is.
The land-based laser stations are effective tools against the low-orbiting recon satellites. But the larger mirror-telescopes are making it possible that the racon satellites can stay far away from Earth. The Moon-orbiting space telescope can see the entire Earth in one sight. And it can zoom to any point on the Earth in seconds.
Image 2:) Artist's conception of a Chinese space station.
But large mirror satellites can also aim the large-size spaceborne laser's rays to the right point.
The reason why Chinese plans for making a kilometer-long space station should cause concern is that a similar kilometer-long structure can also be the spaceborne laser system. The spaceborne laser system can use solar light for making the laser ray. The mirror system will aim the sunlight at the laser element.
The kilometer-long lasers can benefit modular structure. It can be the series of satellites where the laser elements are put together by docking those satellites to one entirety. That giant laser can use a relay satellite to send the laser ray to the right target. The relay satellite can be a smaller laser satellite or mirror satellite. And the more powerful system will shoot the laser ray through that smaller satellite to the right point.
If we are thinking about the large-size mirror satellite that is orbiting the moon that kind of satellite can use to aim the high-power laser ray that is shot from Lagrange point between the Moon and Earth to targets that are orbiting the Earth. There is the possibility that a kilometer-long carbon-dioxide laser can create so much power that this ray can cause fire on Earth.
https://curiosmos.com/china-to-build-a-kilometer-long-space-station-10-things-you-need-to-know/
https://www.space.com/russia-anti-satellite-laser-facility-satellite-photos
Image 1) https://www.space.com/russia-anti-satellite-laser-facility-satellite-photos
Image2) https://curiosmos.com/china-to-build-a-kilometer-long-space-station-10-things-you-need-to-know/
https://artificialintelligenceandindividuals.blogspot.com/
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