China has the opportunity to quietly disable enemy satellites. Yesterday, October 23, the portal scmp.com He reported that Hunan Defense Polytechnic Institute has developed a new type of space weapon.
"Instead of tearing the satellite to pieces, a special device can damage the satellite in such a way that it will be mistaken for its malfunction," said Professor Sun Yunzhong from Hunan Defense Polytechnic Institute.
Space satellite
Image source: scmp.com
According to the developers, their robot saboteur weighing 3.5 kg looks indistinguishable from the traditional nozzle of the satellite engine, but carries a small explosive device. It is imperceptibly attached to the satellite, and then, on command, timer or when the engine is activated, it explodes, disabling the satellite. At the same time, external interference remains unnoticed.
The Chinese first tested anti-satellite weapons in 2007 and since then have been improving their capabilities in attacking enemy objects in near-Earth orbit.