(CGTV / YouTube screenshot)
Experts from Zhejiang University in China have developed a one megawatt pulsed laser emitter. It weighs one and a half kilograms and is small enough to be placed on a satellite.
The emitter will be able to identify and track targets, as well as quickly transmit information.
High power laser systems are usually bulky and heavy. For example, the mass of the ABL anti-missile laser is about 55 kilograms per kilowatt of power.
Now Liu Chong and colleagues from the Department of Optical Science and Technology of Zhejiang University have developed a megawatt pulsed laser emitter that weighs 1.5 kilograms. It is about the size of a 500-milligram can.
The researchers say the device can produce up to 100 pulses per second in space for almost half an hour without overheating.
The power of each pulse is about five millijoules.
This is not enough to shoot down a rocket or satellite, but enough to determine the target, accurately track its movements and make detailed images of it.
In addition, two satellites with such emitters will be able to establish communication with each other and quickly transmit information over long (unspecified) distances.
The small laser emitter received a cooling device made of copper and indium.
It absorbs excess heat that can affect the performance of satellite components and the quality of the laser beam.
The developers claim that their device is ready for testing in space, but haven’t said when.
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