DARPA Is Funding Space Laser Research To Defend U.S. Satellites

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DARPA , the U.S. military's advanced research agency, is funding space laser projects amid simmering concerns that America's strategic adversaries are already developing this satellite-disabling technology. Space Force General B. Chance Saltzman announced at the Air ⁘ Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium earlier this month that he wants to strengthen U.S. national security satellites. With China and Russia already developing more anti-satellite weapons, it's time for the U.S. to build up its own defensive options, Gen. Saltzman said at the symposium, according to Ars Technica . Yet, the real-world viability of laser -equipped satellites is questionable in the near term.

While the phrase "space laser" may conjure images of futuristic weaponry, the reality is more complex. The most prominent applications currently being explored focus on communications enhancement. However, space-based military-grade laser weapon systems under development could shape the battlefield anew. They would harness the fastest possible communications—via the light-speed of directed energy lasers—to quickly thwart an enemy's attack, and they could disable an adversary's communications satellites. Multiple countries have satellites, which are stationed between about 310 and 22,000 miles above Earth. They support military and commercial communications for a variety of applications, from navigation to missile warning. Taking one out would derail critical functions.

Among DARPA's concerns is that Russia has allegedly developed a nuclear space-based, anti-satellite weapon that may be capable of blinding hundreds of satellites, according to The Center for Strategic and International Studies. And China now has more than 1,000 working satellites, with at least one-third of them purely meant for military-related functions, such as intelligence and surveillance. Saltzman called the Chinese "space-enabled targeting architecture" impressive, Ars Technica reports . To build up American communications and defensive capabilities, one of the defense department's most significant initiatives involves establishing inter-satellite laser communications. This program, which began soliciting bids in 2022, has drawn in major players such as SpaceX, Kuiper (Amazon's satellite division), Telesat, and Viasat. These companies are supporting the creation of a network of satellites that can exchange data at the speed of light, improving connectivity, for military and civilian applications alike.

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