Explore the potential uses and risks of powerful space lasers, from deflecting asteroids to serving as weapons of mass destruction. Discover the intricate balancing act required to harness this technology for the benefit of humanity.
The Promise of Space Lasers
The idea of space lasers has been popular in science fiction for decades, but as technology advances, they are becoming more and more within the realms of possibility. From deflecting incoming asteroids to providing an additional velocity boost for spacecraft, these beams could be put to a plethora of uses.
A Directed Energy System for Targeting of Asteroids and Exploitation (DE-STAR) system is one example that shows particular promise. Their solar-powered modular laser array could directly broil the surfaces of hazardous objects to in excess of 3,000 Kelvin, vaporizing them and altering their paths. If it does what they think, it could be a game-changer in the quest to save our planet from catastrophic deep impacts, have either of these asteroids … together with a city.
It could also provide propulsion for spacecraft, thereby opening up frontiers in space travel. The more massive the array, the better for both nudging asteroids off-course and propelling. But, like all transformative technology, there are hazards within the new realm.
The Risks of Space Lasers
More worrying than even rogue space platforms equipped with powerful lasers is the concept of more intentional uses: weapons. Such a cluster is capable of inflicting tens of gigawatts worth of laser light on terrestrial targets; turning such a beast toward Earth would have catastrophic consequences. That’s what every supervillain dreams of, and the stakes for such a system getting into the wrong hands are dire.
In order to avoid this risk, researchers suggest placing the lasers at a safe distance from Earth so that there is no direct danger. In the case of smaller arrays like DE-STAR 0-2, that could mean flipping them out to the sun/Earth Lagrange points, 400,000 km away from us. But as the arrays get bigger and more badass, the minimum safe distance rapidly ramps up with a DE-STAR 4 at about 30-40 au (astronomical units) from the sun.
The problem is the more distant the lasers from the sun, and consequently, they capture less energy from it, making them all b… The safety-power tradeoff will be a critical factor for any future development of a space-based laser.
Nor should one ignore the possibilities of conflict between nations and political machinations, at a global level. Treaties do exist to counter space weaponisation, but not all nations have signed them and certain signatories are known to willy-nilly violate cease. As this technology continues to improve, the question of what is a weapon and what isn’t will almost certainly remain one of the most contentious.
Conclusion
Powerful space lasers, if they ever come from humans, would present one of the greatest opportunities and dangers that we face. Even though such systems might be essential in defending our planet against an imminent asteroid impact or even for planting humanity on celestial bodies, they can hide another concept — they are perfect WMDs.
Space lasers could be a powerful tool for good or evil and there’s probably no second guessing just how bad it will get if this power is completely in the hands of one nation. With any transformational technology — and blockchain offers transformative potential but also inherent risks — the way forward will be a tricky dance of deliverance and disaster relief. The success and failure of lasers in space will ultimately determine whether or not the long-term fate of our species, let alone planet.
