DARPA testing planes with a 'Star Wars'-style laser cannon

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04
Lasers on a satellite is actually illegal. Although they are dumb not to do it.

Au contraire. The 1966 Outer Space Treaty really only addresses nuclear weapons that are intended for mass destruction on Earth, if you read it right.

We've made all sorts of declarations in the meantime that affirm our right to do whatever the heck we want to in space short of that one thing.

And we're developing no-maintenance nukes for putting in places they can be left for decades. Go figure what that is for.

But lasers, hell yeah, we have developed systems for that very thing. THEL got its start from TRW's old satellite laser proposal. Besides which, you can just say they're for communication.

a reply to: Bedlam

Eh, each individual laser would not do much, but I can see an argument that an entire system could be considered one weapon system, and be a WMD. Either way I said in my post they are dumb not to do it (Read: I think they are doing it).

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04

Either way I said in my post they are dumb not to do it (Read: I think they are doing it).

Communication. They're communication systems. Some things have to be said LOUDLY, though.

Interestingly enough, there was this really ingenious thing for pumping small lasers on satellites that went by years ago. You make an aerogel that's fluorescent and is filled with a really active beta emitter. Voila! A screamingly bright pump source that's good for decades. Couldn't shoot someone's stuff with it, but you can make a very nice lightweight low power requirement secure comm link.

a reply to: Bedlam

I would agree. Lasers raining down on you is definitely communicating something. I think they are saying "do you surrender?"

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04

originally posted by: mindseye1609
a reply to: pauljs75

From what I'm seeing the laser isn't actually on the plane.. It's on a satellite right?

It's just the interaction/kill chain that was tested too right?

The pods are just for targeting?

I have like 10 more questions depending on the answers to these ones lol

Lasers on a satellite is actually illegal. Although they are dumb not to do it.

These lasers will be on the actual plane. There was no laser on this plane, it was a test to determine how the pods impacted performance.

It is very hard to focus a beam on another moving object when the source itself is moving very fast.

It is all about science and limits of technology. There are no laws in this jungle.

No star-wars lasers anytime soon.

USA will go to war without lasers on its fighters.

However USA will use land based lasers and will face land based lasers of enemies.

The bulky lasers will have only small impact on war.