Bad weather and a software glitch have frustrated attempts by the US military
to zap a satellite with a laser. The batteries on the ageing military satellite
chosen for the tests, which should have taken place last week, are nearly dead.
The laser, which is at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, now has
until 23 October, when the satellite is due to be shut down, to complete the
test.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
2
The race to understand how and when Thwaites glacier will collapse
3
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science
4
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
5
Babies are born with the neural foundations for maths
6
Remote-controlled cockroach swarm can now breathe underwater
7
US government wants to have a useful quantum computer by 2028
8
I’m the first person whose life was saved by CRISPR base editing
9
The best sci-fi novel in 2026 so far – plus 6 other great reads
10
This physicist is hunting for the biggest black hole in the universe
