China has just taken surveillance to a terrifying new level. Scientists in Beijing have developed a spy satellite so powerful it can identify individual faces from more than 60 miles away. No, that’s not science fiction—that’s reality.
This laser-based system, created by China’s Academy of Sciences, isn’t just for snapping pictures. It can operate day and night, creating detailed 2D and 3D images with absurd precision. That means it can peer down on everyday citizens or keep tabs on foreign military satellites orbiting Earth.
Security experts are already sounding the alarm. Robert Morton, a former intelligence officer, called it a “massive security concern.” His reaction? “Millimeter resolution from 60+ miles up? That’s next-level surveillance.”
Others aren’t taking it lightly, either. Julia Aymonier, a digital transformation executive, warned: “Big Brother is watching you!” CEO Natallia Catarina put it bluntly: “Now only clouds will save us from Chinese spies.”
The technology behind this involves synthetic aperture lidar (SAL), a remote sensing tool that emits pulses of light and measures their reflections. It’s not just about images—it’s about precision mapping, deep surveillance, and intelligence gathering at a level never seen before.
This isn’t some vague “future tech” still on the drawing board. Reports suggest this camera could be launched into orbit soon. Once it’s up there, it could change the way surveillance works—forever.
Five Fast Facts
- China already operates over 260 surveillance satellites, more than any country except the U.S.
- Beijing’s Tiangong Space Station hosts some of the most advanced Earth-observation tech in orbit.
- Synthetic aperture lidar was originally designed for high-resolution mapping of terrain—not faces.
- Spy satellites have been used since the 1960s, but China’s tech is now pushing the limits.
- Cloud cover can block optical satellites, but lidar can penetrate most weather conditions.
