Directed energy

China May Blind U.S. Satellites in Future Conflicts

The United States Space Command is concerned that China would likely target American spy satellites in future conflicts. It is very likely that China is developing lasers designed to blind the United States’ eyes in space.

In response to these concerns, the United States Space Command is developing tactics with the National Reconnaissance Office to protect and defend America’s spy satellites. 

“We’re pretty comfortable [in asserting] that they are developing directed energy weapons – probably building lasers to blind our satellites,” said the commander of SPACECOM and the United States Air Force Command, General John Raymond.

If war was to ever occur, ground-based Chinese lasers could be able to blind the sensors onboard American KH-11 spy satellites, thus making them useless. Such satellites orbit Earth at an altitude of about 200 miles. So a ground-based laser would have to be very powerful to reach the satellites while penetrating through the atmosphere and clouds. However, as Popularmechanics.com states, “a ground-based laser could be built as big as the operator wanted it to be,” meaning that if the Chinese wanted a ground-based anti-satellite system, then they will have it.