Chinese scientists have developed a satellite that makes capturing human faces a reality.
Using advanced laser technology, this satellite can capture facial details from over 100 kilometers away, reports WP.
That’s a massive leap forward, offering 100 times better performance than current spy cameras and telescopes.
The breakthrough was recently published in the Chinese Journal of Lasers and reported by the South China Morning Post.
The research comes from the Institute of Space Information Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The key to this technology is Synthetic Aperture Lidar (SAL). This system creates highly detailed 2D and 3D images by taking advantage of an object’s movement.
Unlike traditional radar, which uses radio waves, SAL operates at optical wavelengths.
This results in sharper images and allows for more precise measurements.
China tested this system over Qinghai Lake in the northwest part of the country. The results were impressive.
The satellite successfully captured images with incredible detail, far surpassing anything previously achieved.
It detected objects as small as 1.7 millimeters and measured distances with an accuracy of 15.6 millimeters.
To put that in perspective, previous tests by Lockheed Martin in 2011 could only reach a resolution of 2 centimeters at a distance of 1.6 kilometers.
A later Chinese test in 2019 achieved 5-centimeter resolution at 6.9 kilometers. The new system is vastly superior.
The breakthrough comes from an innovative method. Researchers split the laser beam into a 4x4 microlens array, increasing the system’s optical aperture from 17.2 millimeters to 68.8 millimeters.
This adjustment overcame a common limitation in imaging systems, where improving field of view usually reduces resolution.
While the technology is groundbreaking, there are still challenges. The tests were done under perfect weather conditions.
Atmospheric interference, such as clouds, humidity, and pollution, could impact accuracy.
However, even with these limitations, the new satellite technology represents a major leap forward.
If China can refine the system, it could change the future of surveillance, space exploration, and even civilian applications.
