© depositphotos/paulfleet Chinese scientists have developed a device that can neutralize satellites.
Researchers from China have engineered a tool that they assert can counter Starlink satellites. This tool has the ability to emit strong microwave radiations, with the goal of incapacitating satellites situated in lower Earth orbit, as indicated by the South China Morning Post, based in Hong Kong.
The device, designated as TPG1000Cs, was produced at the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology situated in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province.
The published report suggests that this constitutes the initial compact generator globally designed for high-power microwave arms, possessing the ability to transmit noteworthy power levels—reaching as high as 20 gigawatts—for a continuous duration of one minute.
Its physical dimensions span approximately four meters in length and a weight of roughly five tons, rendering it sufficiently compact for installation on transport vehicles, naval vessels, aircraft, or even artificial satellites.
Based on evaluations from particular Chinese specialists, terrestrial microwave weapons exhibiting a power capacity surpassing 1 gigawatt could severely disrupt or potentially inflict damage to Starlink satellites functioning within lower Earth orbit.
Previously identified, akin systems were restricted to a continuous operational timeframe of no more than three seconds and possessed significantly larger physical dimensions.
In the latter part of the previous year, information surfaced concerning Russia’s endeavor to create a novel anti-satellite weapon purposed to obliterate Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites via destructive orbital debris fields. Furthermore, in 2024, the United States notified its allies regarding Russia’s potential deployment of nuclear arms in space to dismantle satellites.