Russian anti-satellite laser facility

Recent photos of Google Earth show that a space facility in Russia seems to be building a complex laser system aimed at blinding enemy satellites.

The project is being carried out in the Krona space facility of the Russian Ministry of Defence, which is located near Zelenciuc Skaya, a remote area in southwest Russia, and is home to the large Ratan 600 radio telescope. Space Review published an in-depth open source survey, analyzed satellite images, bidding documents of Russian industrial contractors and Russian financial documents, and revealed the existence of this new complex.

All these sources listed the construction of a project called Kalina, which was described as a laser system designed for "electro-optic warfare" in the financial documents obtained by Space Review. This system can permanently blind hostile satellites by emitting such bright laser pulses, thus destroying optical sensors.

According to the new survey, although it was planned many years ago, Kalina has just started construction in the existing space surveillance complex operated by the Russian Ministry of Defense, which includes lidar ("light detection and ranging") and a radar system designed to help identify space telescope targets.

Russian patents and procurement documents show that Kalina laser facility has an independent tracking system with an adaptive optical system, which helps to better reduce atmospheric interference. Together with this system, the laser itself has a transceiver system to measure the laser reflected from its target, so as to better aim at the optical system on its target object directly.

In terms of anti-satellite activities, the construction of this kind of laser follows the growing trend. On 202 1, General David D. Thompson, Deputy Director of Space Operations of the US Space Force, told Washington post that American satellites were under attack "every day" and that the United States "really reached the moment when there were many ways to threaten our space system".

As Washington post thought, this "space shadow war" has been staged. Elon musk wrote in May 2022 that Russia has been "stepping up its efforts" to jam the signal of Starlink Internet satellite, a space exploration technology company. Space exploration technology company recently sent many Starlink terminals to Ukraine to rebuild Ukraine's communication network and provide emergency Internet services.

In addition, Russia may not be the only country trying to disrupt or destroy the service of Starlink satellite, which has been tested in various military applications (opened in new tags). For example, in 2022, researchers from Beijing Institute of Tracking and Communication Technology published a paper in China Modern Defense Technology, calling for the development of "a method combining soft killing with hard killing", which may "disable some satellite links and destroy the operating system of constellations". Although Starlink "can provide more stable and reliable communication capabilities for US combat troops deployed around the world", satellites can also be used.

It is quite possible that ground-based lasers such as the new Russian Callina system can provide what China researchers described as a "soft killing" method-unlike the "hard killing" method, this technology will not bring risks to others operating in space.