Posted on 06/12/2018 10:58:24 AM PDT by Red Badger
An image drawn by a Defense Intelligence Agency employee imagining how a Soviet laser cannon might look (Credit: Edward L. Cooper / Wikimedia)
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Russia has revealed plans to build a gigantic laser cannon capable of destroying targets in space.
It is converting a telescope into a huge ‘space gun’ which will be used to zap orbital debris which poses a threat to orbiting space ships.
The ‘cannon’ is not likely to be very powerful at this stage, meaning it would have to be focused on a piece of floating junk for some time in order to vaporise it.
But it could be a vital weapon of war in a world which depends on satellites.
Researchers at a subsidiary of Roscosmos, the Russian equivalent of Nasa, want to turn a telescope at the Altai Optical-Laser Center into a cannon which will blast space junk.
The abilility to blast satellites from space would give Russia a tactical advantage over its enemies
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‘The scientists intend to use the massive soon-to-be-built telescope at the Altay Optical-Laser Center and convert it into a laser cannon,’ it wrote, according to Russian reports
‘The device is expected to be powered by a solid-state generator, though the project team has yet to choose which model to use.’
Of course, whilst Russia claims its intentions are peaceful it’s already known to have developed weapons that can disable satellites.
Earlier this year, it revealed plans for a ‘flying laser’ which could be mounted on a plane.
Satellite play a key role in warfare and also power the global communications infrastructure, so a weapon which brings down spaceships would be a powerful tool in any future conflict – including those fought in space.
However, tackling space debris is certainly a noble cause, because there’s a lot of rubbish orbiting Earth right now and a lot of it is Russian.
If nothing is done, our world will be surrounded by a vast amount of junk travelling at high speeds which poses a huge risk to any spacecraft trying to leave the planet.
A similar idea for a rubbish-blasting laser attached to the International Space Station was proposed by Japan in 2016.
A laser that can blast space junk can blast hanging chads. Impeach now!
Probably powered by the uranium pickles sold them.
IIRC, they already built something like this in Semipalatinsk in the 70’s.
CC
They blew it up...............
Ever wonder why Rocket Man's rockets just wont fly?
lOOKS PRETTY DAMNED BIG TO ME!
I would use as an example of bad luck the low probability event of flying through this thing’s beam in the brief time it was pulsed on.
Of course, in reality air space around this contraption would be restricted... but I’m just thinking.
Death Ray!
Very frightening if they can use this to influence a U.S. election. Otherwise, yawn...
Film at 11!
IBDE. (Dr. Evil)
You called?
You may be thinking of the Sary Shagan test site where they were developing ABM lasers. Rumor had it that they zapped a space shuttle flight and caused some issues. Of course, all deny anything happened now.
Soviet?
The laser is the easy part. The hard bit is the acquisition and targeting systems.
They just have to breed a big shark. That is the real tech problem.
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