Tehran Students Built a DIY Anti-Satellite Laser
By Syed John
Fiber lasers bought for 'metal work' just blinded a commercial bird for six seconds.
Sharif University quietly tested a fiber-laser rig that dazzled a commercial imaging satellite owned by a Gulf telecom. The gear was legal—imported under industrial machining permits. The students bolted it onto a telescope mount, fed it orbital data from public APIs, and fired a burst that ruined a high-value imaging pass.
It's not science fiction anymore. You no longer need a state budget to mess with space assets; you need clever optics students and a tolerant procurement office. The incident lasted six seconds, wasn't destructive, and yet it's a geopolitical bombshell.
If Iran's grad students can do this, so can any middling nation—or wealthy non-state actor. Space insurers and satellite operators need to plan for a world where 'laser zoning laws' become a thing. Because the next dazzle might not be a prank; it might hide a battlefield.