Will there be an orbital laser before 2035?

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2035

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Some examples of things that could qualify:

Project Excalibur.

Must be a big laser, intended to do something awesome. Someone bringing a laser pointer to the ISS doesn't count. Not does communications technology, that's old news. A ground-based laser also doesn't count, even if it's cool and has something to do with orbit. (If there's an orbiting mirror reflecting it somewhere though, that's awesome enough that I might make an exception.)

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predictedYES

What counts as big? You put LISA as something that would qualify but prototypes for the laser don’t look very large.

predictedYES

What about Starlink’s optical space lasers? Awesome or no? Nvm it’s communication

https://www.spoc.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3457469/first-in-space-laser-power-beaming-experiment-surpasses-100-days-of-successful

SWELL has been providing nearly continuously about 1.5 watts at the power beaming receiver’s output with an end-to-end efficiency around 11%, more than ten times the team’s efficiency goal. The power beaming link distance is 1.45 meters.

This is pretty sad.

predictedNO

@IsaacKing they just need to line up about 10,000 of these, and then it will be awesome!

predictedYES

@Joshua I like the way u think

Must be able to do more than 10hp damage per strike or similar?

Does the laser need to be functional, or is it allowed to be a half-built moon-sized superweapon that definitely isn't operational yet?

@Tumbles It must be fully armed and operational.

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