3 ms·

How do they make sure they don’t blind aircraft?

• _zzaw 4y ago
  They might be assuming that aircraft will already be avoiding areas with powerful thunderstorms. Still, I'd assume a $2B laser goes a long way; you'd have to be pretty clear to pilots about where the danger zone is.
• nashashmi 4y ago
  Good question: “ The laser is powerful enough to be a risk to the eyes of overflying pilots, and during the experiments air traffic was closed over the test site. But the scientists believe the technology could still be useful, as launchpads and airports often have designated areas where no-fly restrictions apply. “It’s important to consider this aspect of safety,” said Houard.”