China has created a compact and lightweight megawatt laser designed for installation on satellites
The development of laser systems is in full swing, and many countries have laser installations for a wide variety of purposes. So in a peer-reviewed journal Aerospace Shanghai a publication appeared stating that the engineers of the Celestial Empire managed to create a compact laser with a power of 1 megawatt, intended for use in satellite systems.
What are lasers for in the modern world
Today it is difficult to imagine the modern world without lasers. After all, they are used almost everywhere. For example, especially powerful lasers are needed for experiments on triggering thermonuclear reactions, for creating extreme conditions in laboratory complexes, for the synthesis of elements uncommon in nature.
In addition, lasers are needed for communication, for tracking systems, and for detecting various objects.
All this makes lasers an extremely useful and popular tool, and since the so-called space race is actively developing now, it is simply impossible to do without laser installations in space.
What will a Chinese laser for satellites be capable of?
According to Chinese engineers, they created a megawatt laser, which used solid-state elements.
This made it possible to reduce the weight of the installation together with the power supply to 1.5 kilograms. In this case, the created installation is capable of emitting about 100 5-ns pulses in just one second.
This system has already been successfully tested at land ranges, and as shown by calculations in the composition the satellite, the laser in orbit will be able to work without interruption and the threat of overheating up to thirty minutes.
At the same time, it is planned to use it for active scanning of the Earth's surface, as well as for the implementation of laser communications and tracking systems.
As experts emphasize, this laser is not a weapon system, since a pulse lasting only 5 ns, will not be able to cause serious damage, but it will still harm a person's vision capable.
Well, let's see what the seemingly peaceful megawatt laser on a satellite will eventually turn into. Moreover, considering that it is enough to work out the technology and create a more powerful version will only be a matter of time.
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