The US Navy has added a new weapon to its arsenal: the MIRACL laser directed energy. Although it isn't as strong as other weapons that the military has, its results are incredible. It has destroyed drones, missiles, and even speeding spacecraft. However, it brought to a head the debate about space control. The Pentagon is currently examining the feasibility for a MIRACL test. This controversy has become a rallying cry for those who oppose US space weaponry.
MIRACL is the acronym for Mid-Infrared Advanced Chemical Laser. It is a continuous-wave laser that produces vibrationally excited deuterium fluoride molecules that are then injected into a target. The MIRACL class laser is a megawatt-class laser and is capable of destroying both airborne and ground-based targets. It would be a technological marvel to have a high-power laser capable enough of destroying an enemy satellite. To avoid an eventual space arms race, the Pentagon changed MIRACL's name and scope.
The technology used by the MIRACL to pulverize the target is a laser beam, something that has been tried before. This may be the first use of the laser to perform a kinetic damage evaluation. This weapon produces a 14cm square beam using beam-shaping optics. The beam is then propagated through all the beam trains.
It is no secret that the Pentagon wants to develop a laser capable destroying enemy satellites. It is not clear, however, if the Department of Defense will ever fire a MIRACL at a satellite that is in danger. Former service officers have made it clear that while the Department of Defense may not have explicitly stated this, they believe the laser's capabilities are far more important than any practical concerns. They point out that the technology can be used in other forms of defense such as to destroy bombs and missiles.
Although the Navy is not yet ready to fire a laser at a satellite that is in its way, the Army and Navy are. Sources have indicated that the Pentagon may be considering testing a laser on a small satellite called the Miniature Sensor Technology Integration 3 (MSTI3) to see how it would affect a satellite. Some sources suggest that the Pentagon might be considering sending the laser on a contingency flight. No matter what the mission does, it will be a test for the Pentagon's capability to launch and control launch technology.
According to the Congressional Research Service, there are at least three other possible uses for the Mid-Infrared Chemical Laser. One would be to destroy enemy spacecraft, another to damage computerized systems, and the final to kill an individual with a laser. One alternative is to destroy an enemy satellite, which was already being looked at.
What is a miracle? There is no scientific definition. The miracle is a concept that has existed for centuries. However, it is still controversial and many argue that it is not the most important phenomena of all. It has been suggested that statistically impossible events are the most amazing.