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Satellite Photos Show Chinese Anti-Satellite Laser Base
The Washington Free Beacon ^ | 1 April 2019 | BY: Bill Gertz

Posted on 04/01/2019 10:46:43 AM PDT by amorphous

Commercial satellite images have provided the first photographs of a secret Chinese anti-satellite laser base in western Xinjiang province, along with other high-technology weapons facilities.

The laser facility is located near a lake and is about 145 miles south of the Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang.

The facility was discovered by retired Indian Army Col. Vinayak Bhat, a satellite imagery analyst who specializes on China.

China is using its satellite tracking stations located throughout the country as a means of identifying and targeting satellites.

(Excerpt) Read more at freebeacon.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: asat; china; laser; satellite
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"China has also apparently tested and deployed at least one large, ground-based ASAT laser weapon for use on a number of targets in [low-earth orbit], and is developing a submarine-based ASAT missile with which it could eventually target U.S. national security satellites in [geosynchronous orbit,"
1 posted on 04/01/2019 10:46:43 AM PDT by amorphous
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To: amorphous

Very interesting — also that you can see it from a commercial satellite, that they did not try to hide it.


2 posted on 04/01/2019 10:51:52 AM PDT by Innovative
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To: Innovative

It was news to me, especially China having the ability to take out sensors on a geostationary satellite at 18,000 miles high.


3 posted on 04/01/2019 10:56:36 AM PDT by amorphous
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To: amorphous

Xinjiang is the province in western China where the Uyghur population has recently faced mass incarcerations in internment camps, based on Chinese charges of “terrorism”. The Uyghur population is mostly Muslim but native to Xinjiang province (since before it was incorporated into the internal Han empires) and predominately not devout fundamentalist Muslims.


4 posted on 04/01/2019 10:56:59 AM PDT by Wuli
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To: amorphous
I think it's more probably a facility for blinding the optics of satellites. A laser that could actually melt a satellite would need either a lot of electricity, like multiple tens of megawatts, or else big chemical tanks for supplying a gas-dynamic laser.

The electrical supply would be a large substation or a big gas turbine supplied alternator, with a large fuel tank. I don't see anything like that in the pictures.

Even the best high-power lasers are not very efficient.

5 posted on 04/01/2019 11:00:05 AM PDT by Steely Tom ([Seth Rich] == [the Democrat's John Dean])
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To: amorphous

There have been various American ASAT programs funded and unfunded dating back to the mid-60s.

https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/asat-overview.htm


6 posted on 04/01/2019 11:03:14 AM PDT by rhombus10
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To: amorphous

Who knows exactly what the X-37B is doing?????


7 posted on 04/01/2019 11:06:47 AM PDT by WellyP (question!)
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To: WellyP

Storage for the lost Dem server and Hillary’s emails.


8 posted on 04/01/2019 11:07:44 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$
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To: WellyP

Hopefully it’s mining Chicom satellites. Push one button and their entire network goes BANG!


9 posted on 04/01/2019 11:13:27 AM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: rhombus10; All

the original story here

https://theprint.in/defence/these-futuristic-chinese-space-denial-weapons-can-disable-or-destroy-opposing-satellites/210212/


10 posted on 04/01/2019 11:16:19 AM PDT by ptsal
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They are working on them.

June 23, 2018

..."China has used ocean-borne lasers to target US military pilots flying over Pacific Ocean on more than 20 occasions since the start of the year, Wall Street Journal reported. According the news daily, all the incidents occurred over or close to the East China Sea. These attacks were carried out “typically where the Chinese military or other Chinese civilians operate,” WSJ reported Thursday. The news report stated that, unlike the instances near the Horn of Africa, where the People’s Liberation Army-Navy maintains a base, the lasers seemed to be emanating from fishing boats as well as the mainland. While 20 incidents have been known to be reported, even more incidents may have happened but remained unreported by the air crews. And this time around, unlike the incidents in Africa, the directed beams of energy weren't originating from military-grade weapons in every reported incident, the newspaper noted. "US officials said they considered the latest incidents to be low-level but concerning harassment, along the lines of the incidents [US] State Department personnel experienced this year in Guangzhou, where diplomats and some families were evacuated after reports of unexplained medical symptoms." In May, the Pentagon charged Beijing with firing directed-energy weapons at US pilots near China's base in Djibouti, injuring at least two airmen, and requested that Beijing investigate the laser incidents. But the targeting by lasers suggests that at some level, the Chinese have continued their harassment of US pilots as tensions remain high between the two countries over trade issues, continuing territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and Beijing’s role in the effort to curtail North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, the report stated."...

http://www.defenseworld.net/news/22759/20_Instances_of_Chinese_Laser_Attacks_on_US_Military_Pilots_Reported_This_Year

Obviously, Hitting something a few miles away at 10-30,000 feet is quite different than a satellite at 22,000 miles....

11 posted on 04/01/2019 11:30:30 AM PDT by Sa-teef
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To: WellyP

those who know aren’t saying.


12 posted on 04/01/2019 11:38:53 AM PDT by RitchieAprile
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To: Steely Tom

My thoughts about the need for power—underground generator facility or massive feed from something nearby. I would hope we would have the ability to detect a large power source when operating above ground.


13 posted on 04/01/2019 11:50:04 AM PDT by whistleduck (arpoon)
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To: Steely Tom

Yes, blinding and even damaging certain sensors, but not disabling the entire satellite.


14 posted on 04/01/2019 12:29:40 PM PDT by steve86 (Prophecies of Maelmhaedhoc O'Morgair (Latin form: Malachy))
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To: whistleduck
My thoughts about the need for power—underground generator facility or massive feed from something nearby. I would hope we would have the ability to detect a large power source when operating above ground.

Such a construction effort would have been noticed, would have involved many, many workers, much logistics, living quarters, supply convoys, impossible to hide. Also the waste heat given off by such a generating plant would be equally impossible to hide.

15 posted on 04/01/2019 12:30:38 PM PDT by Steely Tom ([Seth Rich] == [the Democrat's John Dean])
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To: amorphous
Took me half an hour, but I found the location shown in the picture. I don't know how to post a link to a Google Maps location, but it's listed as "Hoxud, Beyingol, Xinjiang, China," with this set of coordinates: 41.763339, 87.417393. This is also 41°45'48.0"N 87°25'02.6"E.

You can put either of those sets of coordinates into Google maps and it will take you right to it.

16 posted on 04/01/2019 12:34:11 PM PDT by Steely Tom ([Seth Rich] == [the Democrat's John Dean])
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To: amorphous

It is located about three miles due south of the southeast margin of Bosten Lake, which is located about 120 miles south of the center of Urumqi. Find that lake, and then go due south of its south-east corner, and you will find the location.


17 posted on 04/01/2019 12:40:18 PM PDT by Steely Tom ([Seth Rich] == [the Democrat's John Dean])
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To: Innovative; ptsal; Sa-teef; whistleduck; steve86
Clickable link to location: 41°45'48.0"N 87°25'02.6"E

There is an administrative campus immediately west of the location. I don't see large fuel tanks or high-tension lines in the area.

18 posted on 04/01/2019 1:00:03 PM PDT by Steely Tom ([Seth Rich] == [the Democrat's John Dean])
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To: amorphous

Do not pay your Big Tech smart phone bill, and Communist China will take out the satellite feeding locations to your car GPS.

And they will shut off your GPS when you are driving around that tight corner.

Love those Asian anchor babies from China’s billionaire military Generals..


19 posted on 04/01/2019 1:21:45 PM PDT by TheNext (Democrats kill people with Gun Control)
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To: Steely Tom
Took me half an hour, but I found the location shown in the picture.

VERY COOL & IMPRESSIVE!

Thanks for your effort to locate the site!!

20 posted on 04/01/2019 1:54:36 PM PDT by amorphous
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