Scientists from China have created the world's most powerful "spy" camera

Chinese scientists have developed the world's most powerful laser camera capable of tracking foreign military satellites. This was reported by South China Morning Post (SCMP) on February 19 with reference to the authors of the project.

The camera was created by specialists of the Institute of Aerospace Information Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. During tests on Qinghai Lake (Cucunor) the device made images with millimeter accuracy at a distance of more than 100 km, which was previously impossible.

The technology is based on a 103 W wide-band laser combined with a real-time digital data processing system. The camera was able to capture objects as small as 1.7 mm and determine the distance to them with an accuracy of 15.6 mm. It is noted that the level of detail was 100 times higher than that of modern cameras and telescopes with lenses.

"It is not only about the ability to see the satellite in orbit, but also the ability to read its serial numbers," the publication quotes one of the experts.

In the future, such devices may be placed in space, which will allow to distinguish the smallest details, including human faces, from low-Earth orbit, the newspaper notes.

Earlier, on February 3, it was reported that China plans to send a bouncing research probe "Chang'e-7" to the Moon in 2026 to search for water. The apparatus is capable of moving dozens of kilometers, and unlike traditional probes, it will land on the surface of the Moon not once, but three times.