Since size and the need for refueling limit current laser weapons designs, the US is pursuing solid state laser (SSL) designs, which are generally lighter, smaller, and of longer operational life, but have not been able to generate the same level of continuous power as other types. The Pentagon's Joint High-Power Solid-State Laser (JHPSSL) program is funding the development of a 25-kilowatt SSL capable of more than 300 seconds of run-time. Twenty-five kilowatts is the approximate minimum power needed to heat-to-kill electronics on satellites in LEO and 300 seconds is the typical flyover time of a satellite in LEO. JHPSSL contractor Northrop Grumman announced on 9 November 2005 that it had successfully tested a 27-kilowatt SSL for 350 seconds, the most powerful continuous SSL to date. The ASAT capabilities of SSLs could potentially go far beyond simply dazzling sensors to blind or heat the satellite components themselves. Further, given the absence of any chemical refueling needs, the potential for use of SSLs on aircraft and spacecraft grows as their size and weight decrease. In space, which is free of the disrupting effects of weather and atmosphere, satellite-disabling effects could be achieved at much lower power.

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Collard-Wexler, Simon, Thomas Graham et al. Space Security 2006. Waterloo, Ontario: Space Security Index, July 2006. [ 26 quotes ] [ page 140 ]