China Fires Laser at the Moon in Broad Daylight—Achieves Unprecedented Deep-Space Targeting Breakthrough
In a major leap for lunar navigation, China has successfully bounced alaser off a Moon-orbiting satellite in full daylight—a feat previously thought impossible due to intense solar interference. The breakthrough, carried out by the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL) using the Tiandu-1 satellite, marks the world’s first Earth-Moon laser-ranging success under strong sunlight, according to a report by Interesting Engineering.
The two-day experiment, conducted on April 26–27, demonstrated the precision tracking and signal clarity needed to support continuous navigation between Earth and the Moon. Until now, glaring solar background noise has limited such laser measurements to nighttime windows. With this barrier overcome, China has significantly advanced its roadmap for sustained lunar operations and deep-space infrastructure.
Laser Precision: “Like Hitting a Hair from 6 Miles Away”
The DSEL team compared the accuracy of the laser targeting to “hitting a single hair from 6.2 miles away”, underscoring the level of precision needed to maintain a lock on a fast-moving satellite in cislunar space. This success now allows China to gather orbital data any time the satellite is in view, effectively multiplying the number of usable data points and enhancing positional accuracy.
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