Chinese scientists claim to have created a ‘real Death Star’ capable of destroying enemy satellites in orbit.
The science fiction-inspired weapon combines pulses of microwave radiation into one powerful beam, just like the planet-destroying lasers from Star Wars.
In order to merge, the electromagnetic pulses must hit the exact same target within 170 trillionths of a second.
That requires timing levels more precise than those of the atomic clocks on advanced GPS satellites – a feat previously thought impossible.
However, the weapon has now completed experimental testing for potential military applications thanks to breakthroughs in ‘ultra-high precision time synchronization’.
This could be used to “achieve multiple goals such as education and training, verification of new technology and military exercises,” experts say.
Although the exact details of the weapon remain top secret, Chinese academic journals suggest that these types of microwave weapons are being developed for use in space.
And while it may not have the power to blow up a planet, it can wreak havoc on enemy communications or GPS satellites.
Chinese scientists claim to have created a lifelike Death Star weapon that merges pulses of microwave energy to create a beam strong enough to wipe out enemy satellites
According to the South China Morning Mailthe secret space weapon uses an array of seven microwave-firing ‘vehicles’.
These vehicles are deployed over a large area, but fire together to hit their target with a single, powerful attack.
The scientists behind the device say most microwave weapons have “failed to form effective combat capabilities” due to power limitations.
But by combining several waves into a single pulse, the resulting force can be strong enough to overwhelm an enemy satellite.
What makes this challenging is that combining microwave pulses requires synchronizing the bursts with never-before-seen levels of accuracy.
Even the atomic clock aboard China’s Tiangong space station, which misses just one second every few billion years, cannot achieve the required accuracy.
However, Chinese scientists say they have now been able to overcome these challenges by connecting each of the vehicles with fiber optic cables.
Although the exact specifications remain secret, Chinese scientists last year managed to achieve a time synchronization accuracy of just 10 trillionths of a second over a distance of 1,100 miles (1,800 km).
Like the Death Star in Star Wars (pictured), this weapon combines separate energy beams into one focused pulse
To ensure that the microwave pulses hit exactly the same point, the weapon also uses laser positioning equipment to enable millimeter-level navigation.
By analyzing timing and positional data, a mobile command center can then issue an attack command, activating each of the seven vehicles simultaneously.
The researchers say that the microwave beams can achieve a combination effect of ‘1+1>2’, indicating that the combined power could be higher than the sum of its parts.
This won’t be as strong as the Death Star’s destructive power, but the resulting energy pulse could be more than enough to take out an enemy satellite.
Research has shown that a weapon capable of delivering just one gigawatt of power would be enough to cause serious damage to satellites in orbit near Earth.
In recent years, billion-dollar companies around the world have been developing a new generation of ‘direct energy weapons’.
Unlike conventional weapons that use projectiles or explosives, these use powerful bursts of electromagnetic radiation to disrupt or destroy their targets.
Significant progress has already been made in direct energy weapons that use lasers to burn through the fuselages of missiles and drones.
While it won’t be strong enough to blow up a planet like in Star Wars (pictured), the weapon can use its microwave beams to disable enemy satellites, disrupting communications and navigation.
More and more national militaries are researching so-called “direct energy weapons,” which use high-intensity bursts of radiation to destroy or disrupt their targets. These include the British DragonFire laser weapon (pictured)
For example, the British Dragonfire laser weapon is strong enough to shoot a drone out of the sky and accurate enough to hit a £1 coin from half a mile away.
Instead of burning through their targets, microwave weapons use intense bursts of electromagnetic radiation to disrupt electrical circuits.
Trials with microwave weapons have already shown that they can be effective against small targets such as drones.
Developed by the US Air Force Research Lab, the Tactical High-Power Operational Responder (THOR) uses broad bursts of energy to take out entire swarms of drones.
The advantage is that the weapons are cheap to operate and do not use projectiles, which reduces the chance of collateral damage.
However, it has proven difficult to aim and use microwave weapons at greater distances.
By overcoming the power limitations, combined microwave energy weapons could be the key to bringing these potentially devastating weapons to the frontier of space warfare.
As militaries become more dependent on satellite observations and communications, there is growing interest in weapons that can target satellites.
Released footage of secret trials (pictured) at the MoD’s Hebrides Range showed the UK’s laser weapons system proved so accurate it could hit a £1 coin from half a mile away
As low Earth orbit becomes more important for military use, countries are developing more weapons to target satellites. This includes China’s ‘Death Star’ microwave weapon and the US ‘Meadowlands’ satellite jammer unveiled last month (pictured)
These satellite networks provide the infrastructure that supports deadly GPS guided missiles, drone attacks, and troop movements on the ground.
This means that eliminating enemy communications, through electronic or physical means, could provide a decisive advantage in a conflict.
Last month, the US unveiled its powerful new satellite jamming weapon, designed to cut off Russian or Chinese communications at the start of a conflict.
The weapon was developed by the Xian Navigation Technology Research Institute under the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation.
This organization has in the past been a major supplier of electronic warfare weapons to the People’s Liberation Army.
However, it is not yet clear when this weapon will be deployed, if at all.