China now has anti satellite laser weapon

Do you have a link to the story?

First

Second

I see it on Google News, but not on CNN.

Also, it appears to be a missile, not a laser.

Sorry, but Communism is SO 1989.

Call back when China becomes officially Muslim.

Well, I think they are just letting people know that they mean business. They intercepted one of their own satellites and admittedly smashed it into lots of bit size pieces that will cause problems. Other than that, I hope nobody starts a war anytime soon, becuase I would miss my dish TV.

Isn't that anti-missile thingy that Bush has been going on about now for the past seven years based on satellite-provided information?

So much for that idea.

I remember seeing a piece on Discovery about a lens that NASA was putting into space to burn up space junk. Apparently, Earth is developing a ring system from all of the junk. This was at least 7 years ago, so I wouldn't be suprised if we had an anti-satellite weapon based around the same tech.

I would think there would be easier way to clean up space junk such as slowing it enough so it enter the atmosphere.

hmmmm... Spaceballs... What was it called? Megamaid?

A) it's a ballistic missile with a kinetic warhead, no lasers
B) we've done this already, years ago. Launched from an F-15 Eagle.
C) The satellite was theirs, and lower than 1Mm in altitude; the pieces will no doubt be completely burned up within a few weeks, a few months at the worst (chances are the majority of the pieces will only last a few days, since major impacts have a habit of creating highly eccentric orbits with one end much closer to the planet, and thus, more susceptible to atmospheric drag)*


* If you whack a satellite from the bottom really hard, its apoapsis will increase, and most people think this will give it a higher, longer lasting orbit. However, they forget to take into account that the periapsis decreases as well, meaning that at the lowest point of each orbit, it's closer to the planet.

US condemns China 'space weapon' (bbc) The United States, Australia and Canada have criticised China over a weapons test it is said to have carried out in space last week.

No fair! Only we get to have space weapons!!!

Quote:

Original post by LessBread US condemns China 'space weapon' (bbc) The United States, Australia and Canada have criticised China over a weapons test it is said to have carried out in space last week. No fair! Only we get to have space weapons!!!

You know what I find funny? All these advanced weapons meant to change war only seems to bring us back farther and farther into the past.

Another two hundred years and we'll be back to fighting with swords and shields. Then fists. Then we won't be bale to kill each other and, assuming we still exist, we can start the whole cycle over again.

What past do you mean? When EU used biological weapons, or when they killed in one day more people than in Iraq in last few years?
Of course they probably were motivated. The second name for Asia is starvation.

Quote:

Original post by SticksandStones Isn't that anti-missile thingy that Bush has been going on about now for the past seven years based on satellite-provided information?

Do you mean that ASAT system, called NMD? It has few radars, so they might use them for supposed midcourse corrections.

Re Mithrandir
I wouldn't call that system a workable weapon, they just slapped two different missiles together, added a warhead, and forced airplane to maintain proper speed and position.
The chinese test was able to hit a satellite on polar orbit from fixed site. In fact it has MUCH better climb rate that that old US test. And it has other advantage, it worked at first try. (Look at NMD, they botched it quite often.)

Take that, Wikipedia !

I updated wikipedia a little, so they are up to date as well.

Looks like the Chinese know how to put together more than one type of Nike.

Quote:

Original post by Raghar I wouldn't call that system a workable weapon, they just slapped two different missiles together, added a warhead, and forced airplane to maintain proper speed and position. The chinese test was able to hit a satellite on polar orbit from fixed site. In fact it has MUCH better climb rate that that old US test. And it has other advantage, it worked at first try. (Look at NMD, they botched it quite often.)

Maybe. Russia claims the test may not have happened and the Chinese foreign ministry knows nothing about it.

Apparent confirmation from the Whitehouse.

It's a stupid move on China's part and a definite escalation of the space arms race which was until now mostly just hot air. I guess someone was bound to do it eventually but by being so bold as to be the first to do something like this, China opens itself up to well-deserved criticism. American military domination of the world is not good but if China is the only alternative, things are going to look much worse.

Well, the satellite is there no more, but instead there are dozens of pieces of co-orbiting debris...