Soviet laser space pistol - photos

Laser pistol developed by the Soviets in the 1980s for use by cosmonauts in space. The non-lethal pistol used pyrotechnic cartridges designed to blind and fry sensitive optical sensors aboard a hostile spacecraft.

https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...l_fullsize.jpg

https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...1_fullsize.jpg


Previously:

https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...7129#post85088
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...188#post121171
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...231#post150051
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...2374#post96156

More deets: it's a flashbulb (the 'cartridge')-excited yttrium-garnet laser. https://www.popularmechanics.com/spa...stol-revealed/

If you" blind and fry sensitive optical sensors aboard a hostile spacecraft" would not not make the weapon lethal?

Seems to me a space craft does not have many "sensitive optical sensors aboard" that are not critical to survival? Maybe a few cameras, etc.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hemmjo

If you" blind and fry sensitive optical sensors aboard a hostile spacecraft" would not not make the weapon lethal?

Seems to me a space craft does not have many "sensitive optical sensors aboard" that are not critical to survival? Maybe a few cameras, etc.

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Early CCD sensors were quite susceptible to IR damage (and still are...want a quick IR camera? Disassemble a cheap webcam and remove the IR filter. Often you don't have to even do that..point an IR remote control at a web cam and you can clearly see the IR LED light up when you press a button.) the output of these lasers was likely in the milliwatt range. But this was a project born of late Soviet-era institutional paranoia as much as anything else; it really didn't have a realistic use case.

They also had a gun mounted to their first space station to take out an attacking craft.

Attachment 40198

https://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...-space-cannon/