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If satellites also have certain early warning and defense capabilities, wouldn't these anti-satellite weapons lose their effectiveness?

Generally speaking, there are four types of anti-satellite weapons: co-orbital, direct ascent, directed energy and electromagnetic interference.

The so-called co-orbital satellite is actually an anti-satellite satellite. It may sound confusing, but it is indeed an anti-satellite satellite. After this kind of satellite is launched, it will change its orbit to the same orbit as the target satellite, and then use its own thrusters to accelerate and approach the satellite, and then use its own kill warhead to generate an explosion and destroy the target satellite.

This kind of anti-satellite satellite is actually a specially developed orbital suicide satellite. They can be launched in advance and deployed in space orbit, or they can be launched at any time when needed, maneuver toward the target orbit, approach the target satellite, and then destroy the target satellite.

The direct-ascent missile is actually an anti-satellite missile. This is the current focus of research in various countries. It is also the first anti-satellite weapon that has begun to be installed and has successfully conducted multiple satellite interception tests.

Its principle is actually very simple. It is an anti-aircraft missile, but it is a large anti-aircraft missile. To a certain extent, it is actually similar to light launch vehicles and solid fuel launch vehicles. It can also be improved from some strategic-level missile bodies.

It is characterized by rapid launch and direct, effective, accurate and reliable attack methods. Can carry out precise attacks on satellites in medium and low orbits. The entire attack process is actually little different from launching a satellite, except that the satellite is turned into the warhead of the missile.

It will go straight to the satellite below the orbit, and then explode through impact, destroying the target satellite.

As for the directed energy weapon, it is not actually a laser weapon. It is also called a directed energy weapon. To put it more complicated, it is not to use low-power laser irradiation to burn the satellite. At present, there are actually not a few countries that use lasers to decelerate anti-satellite weapons, and not everyone has the strength in this area.

The methods used are mainly divided into eight types. The first type is not a road-based laser anti-satellite system. It uses a road-based low-power laser to illuminate satellites below the orbit, thereby burning the target satellite.

However, the airborne laser anti-satellite weapon system cannot have a low power due to the aircraft load and volume restrictions, so the lethality of its laser beam is not limited.

And because the airborne laser anti-satellite weapon system is mounted under the aircraft, it basically flies at a low altitude of less than 20,000 meters, and even leaves the troposphere and reaches the stratosphere, so it is affected by clouds and weather conditions.

It's just that, because the ground is too far away from space and is easily affected by weather conditions. For example, clouds that are too thick are too suitable for using laser weapons, because the moisture in thick clouds will refract the laser beam and reduce its energy.

In addition, because it is carried under the aircraft, it is more maneuverable and flexible, making it even better at tracking target satellites and then destroying them.

In that way, as long as a country's national strength and military strength reach a certain level, anti-satellite weapons must be what we are pursuing. This is also true. The weak military countries in the world are actually engaged in the research and development of anti-satellite weapons, but their progress is the same.

Before summarizing the advantages and disadvantages of the latter two laser weapons, scientists installed the laser anti-satellite weapon system under satellites or other spacecraft, allowing those spacecraft to fly under space orbits.

And because laser weapons are deployed under satellites or spacecraft and fly under space orbit, they are more flexible and can attack targets quickly.

Without satellites, it means that the radio, television, and satellite navigation communications in your daily life will disappear, which will have a huge impact on human beings.

That way, also in space, the distance will be closer. And because it is in space, light will be attenuated and will be affected by the scattering of molecules in the air. Therefore, laser beam weapons in space are less capable and less lethal.

So on that basis, no country has developed an airborne laser anti-satellite weapon system. Some aircraft with low-altitude flight capabilities, such as transport aircraft, modified passenger aircraft, low-altitude manned aircraft, etc., are equipped with laser anti-satellite weapon systems, which cannot illuminate the target satellite at a low altitude of less than 20,000 meters, and can even burn the target satellite. .

Considering the distance factor, that kind of method can basically only interfere with satellite communications, and it is difficult to actually affect the satellite. Moreover, interference has no area, and it is possible to achieve global interference, so its effect is unlimited.

So for now, the most important anti-satellite modes are mainly the latter two types of hard kill. The first two soft-kill methods are not prominent due to limitations of various factors.

And the orbiting speed of those satellites is very slow, 7.9 kilometers per second, not 478 kilometers per minute. Therefore, it is very difficult for the laser to track the irradiation.

Therefore, although all small and weak countries are currently developing laser anti-satellite weapons, we still don’t know if any laser anti-satellite experiments in this area have been announced yet.

However, judging from various current signs, that type of laser anti-satellite weapon should not have been officially put into equipment use.

As for the seventh type of electromagnetic interference, that one is actually not very vague. It is not using weak electromagnetic waves to retrogradely interfere with those satellites, or even using gun electromagnetic waves to destroy some electronic components inside those satellites.

In fact, all satellite surface materials use cold insulation materials and can adapt to lower temperatures. In addition to the general design for laser irradiation, even if those important satellites are irradiated by laser, they will receive less damage.

Moreover, land laser weapons require a small amount of electrical energy, especially if they are fixed in one position, and will soon be noticed by the enemy. By changing orbit, the satellite cannot avoid that area and avoid being illuminated by the laser beam.

Therefore, not many people are very worried. Maybe because of a war, the whole world may go back a hundred years. Because when the war just ended, the satellites in space had not yet been seized by the other side.

Later, it was said that modern satellite communications all rely on electromagnetic waves. If they can be degraded, interfered with and suppressed, those satellites will lose their effect. Even the irradiation of weak electromagnetic waves will cause damage to some components inside the satellite, causing the function of the entire satellite to be affected or even paralyzed.

It seems that the image of laser anti-satellite weapons is very powerful, but it also has no small limitations. In particular, it seems that some important satellites will regress in that aspect of design, such as increasing their reflective insulation materials to cope with the low temperatures caused by laser irradiation.

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