If you are fans of Star Warsthen you will have the impression that fiction has caught up with reality because Chinese scientists have just announced that they have developed a new kind of space weapon whose characteristics are identical to those of the famous Death Star.
When the Death Star from Star Wars becomes reality
Do you remember this weapon in Star Wars which responds to the sweet name of Death Star or Etoile de la Mort? The weapon built by the Empire pulverizes the planet of Alderaan using its Mark 1 super-laser. Eventually, the Death Star would be destroyed by Rebel pilots during the Battle of Yavin.
If this destructive weapon was until now part of the cinematographic universe imagined by George Lucas, a weapon similar to this one has just been developed by China, as Chinese scientists indicate. Several Anglo-Saxon media speak from a weapon to “convergent energy beam“ which is reminiscent of the sequence of the destruction of Princess Leia’s planet in A New Hope.
An advanced weapon to disrupt radars, GPS or missiles
But be careful, when we talk about Death Star, you shouldn’t expect a spherical weapon. This is the concept which is inspired by Star Wars. Indeed, theoretically she is capable of “disrupt sensitive electronic components” using high-power microwaves. To disrupt radars, computers, communications systems or satellites and other missiles, the weapon in question relies on the operation of so-called directed energy weapons. In other words: concentrate electromagnetic and particle energy to destroy a target.
But for this, it is necessary send seven different craft overhead equipped with microwave transmitters to different locations. Once in place to the nearest millimeter, each of them must act in synchronization by reaching the same target at exactly the same time. And the Chinese claim to have achieved perfect synchronization. Outside of research, Chinese navigation systems are not capable of providing millimeter accuracy in real life. Then, once in place, microwave energy beams must synchronize with an accuracy of 170 picoseconds or 0.00000000017 seconds. A successful performance by the Chinese thanks to integrated optical fibers and lasers.
For now, we do not know the degree of danger of this weapon but it could deactivate satellites and when we know their importance for locating troops on the ground, that could be quite a threat. However the country clarified that it was developing this weapon only to protect its own satellites. This is not, moreover, not the first time that China is inspired by Star Wars this was already the case for this gigantic orbital ship.
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