Meet Satellite-Killer Laser Crystal: Gamechanger weapon developed by China for in Space Warfare, Trump now plans to…, US satellites to…

Beijing: China has reportedly developed the world’s most powerful laser crystal weapon designed to blind enemy satellites in space. According to a report by the South China Morning Post, Chinese scientists have discovered the world’s largest barium gallium selenide (BGSe) crystal. This technology uses a crystal to disable the functioning of satellites. Professor Wu Haixin and his team are working on the technology at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science.

The crystal, a 60-millimeter diameter synthetic structure, can convert short-wave infrared light into mid- and far-infrared beams. It can withstand laser intensities of up to 550 megawatts per square centimeter, which is the highest tolerance compared to any crystal developed so far.

How will the latest technology help China?

  • The step will take China a step forward in establishing dominance in space by developing laser crystals.
  • With this technology, it could potentially blind America’s low-Earth orbit satellites.
  • For context, the United States has deployed hundreds of satellites in low-Earth orbit for surveillance, allowing it to monitor every inch of the Earth.
  • In the event of war, China could easily neutralize these satellites, giving its military forces on the ground a strategic advantage.
  • Chinese experts claim that these crystals could also be used in infrared sensors, missile tracking, and the medical field.

China Claims Development of Anti-Satellite Laser Crystals

  • China has planned to spend in operational infrastructure to expand and strengthen its anti-satellite (ASAT) technology, according to the reports.
  • China has built facilities at secret locations in Korla and Bohu in the Xinjiang province.
  • These are key sites for its ground-based ASAT program, aimed at blinding or disabling foreign satellites to conceal sensitive military assets.
  • Ground-based laser systems have been deployed at both locations.
  • The report states that the purpose of operating these systems is to “blind” the American ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) network.

General Bradley Saltzman, during a hearing of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USSC) in April 2025, mentioned that China’s ground-based lasers are intended to target critical space-based ISR assets, potentially leaving the U.S. military “blind and deaf.”

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