Chinese laser satellite captures facial details from 62 miles
Chinese scientists have created a satellite utilizing laser technology that can capture human facial details from over 62 miles away. This marks a 100-fold improvement in performance compared to top spy cameras and traditional telescopes.
A team of Chinese scientists has developed a state-of-the-art satellite featuring laser technology, which, when orbiting in low Earth orbit, has the capability to capture facial details from distances exceeding 62 miles. According to the "South China Morning Post," this groundbreaking advancement offers a 100-fold improvement over previous spy cameras and telescopes. The research findings were published in the "Chinese Journal of Lasers."
New laser technology
The research and testing were conducted by scientists from the Institute of Space Information Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This technology, based on Synthetic Aperture Lidar (SAL), allows for the creation of 2D and 3D images with unprecedented precision. SAL uses the motion of an object, such as a satellite, to achieve higher resolution than traditional radar systems. The new system operates at optical wavelengths that offer clearer images.
This innovative technology has many applications, including the ability to monitor foreign satellites with unprecedented accuracy. During tests over Qinghai Lake in northwestern China, the new system using Synthetic Aperture Lidar (SAL) demonstrated the capability to create two-dimensional or three-dimensional images. SAL leverages the motion of an object, like a satellite, to produce images with higher resolution than other radar beam-scanning systems.
During testing, which involved an array of reflective prisms positioned 63 miles from the lidar system, the device detected details as small as 0.07 inches and measured distances with an accuracy of up to 0.61 inches. This represents significant progress compared to earlier achievements, such as a 2011 Lockheed Martin test that achieved an azimuthal resolution of 0.79 inches at a mile distance, or a Chinese test achieving a resolution of 1.97 inches from 4.3 miles away.
Tests conducted in ideal conditions
To accomplish this breakthrough, the Chinese team divided the laser beam driving the lidar system into a 4x4 microlens array, which, in turn, increased the system's optical aperture from 0.68 inches to 2.71 inches. This advancement allowed researchers to bypass the historical trade-off between field of view and aperture size that has limited similar camera systems in the past.
However, as noted by the "South China Morning Post," the tests were conducted under ideal weather conditions. Atmospheric variables can significantly impact the system's precision and reliability.
