China Develops 'Starlink' Killer Anti-Satellite Weapon

MGR Online•International•21h ago

Reader Briefing

China has successfully developed a high-power microwave weapon capable of disabling low-orbit satellites, posing a significant threat to systems like SpaceX's Starlink.

•Chinese researchers at the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology (NINT) have developed a new high-power microwave (HPM) weapon.
•The weapon, codenamed TPG1000Cs, is designed to disrupt or damage low-orbit satellites, including SpaceX's Starlink.
•The device is compact, capable of being mounted on various platforms, and can operate for a full minute, a significant advancement over previous HPM systems.
•The development was detailed in a study published on January 13, 2026, highlighting its potential to pose a strategic advantage in space warfare.

Overview

•On January 13, 2026, the journal 'High Power Laser and Particle Beams' published a study on the TPG1000Cs.
•The TPG1000Cs represents a significant technological leap compared to previous HPM devices.
•Researchers at the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology (NINT) in Xi'an, China, have successfully developed a mobile HPM weapon.
•The TPG1000Cs is capable of unleashing 20 gigawatts (20GW) of energy, with a continuous operation time of 1 minute (approximately 200,000 pulses).
•The TPG1000Cs is designed to disrupt or damage low-orbit satellite constellations such as Starlink.
•The weapon operates by disrupting electronic circuits without causing physical debris, unlike kinetic anti-satellite missiles.
•The development was reported by Euronews in early February.
•Unlike older systems that operated for less than 3 seconds, the TPG1000Cs can operate continuously for one minute.

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Key Entities

Person

Elon Musk(อีลอน มัสก์)ℹ️

Mentioned as a figure whose projects, like Starlink, are targeted by China's new anti-satellite weapon.

Place

China(จีน)ℹ️

The nation that has successfully developed a new anti-satellite weapon.

Xi'an(ซีอาน)ℹ️

The city in China where the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology (NINT) is located.

Organization

Starlink(สตาร์ลิงค์)ℹ️

A satellite constellation that is a primary target for China's new high-power microwave weapon.

Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology (NINT)(สถาบันเทคโนโลยีนิวเคลียร์นอร์ทเวสต์(NINT))

The Chinese research institution that developed the TPG1000Cs anti-satellite weapon.

Euronews(สำนักข่าวยูโรนิวส์)ℹ️

The news agency that reported on the TPG1000Cs development in early February.

Law

High-power microwave (HPM)ℹ️

The technology category of the new anti-satellite weapon developed by China.

High Power Laser and Particle Beams

The academic journal in which the study on the TPG1000Cs was published.