China’s official science magazine Science and Technology Daily reported on November 5 that a laser device placed on the Tiangong Space Station was used to cut external equipment on the station with millimeter precision, operated by remote control from the ground hundreds of kilometers below.

The Tiangong device was developed jointly by the Huazhong University of Science and Technology and the Shanghai Institute of Space Power-Sources. In order to transfer ground-based laser processing equipment into space, the team had to overcome some challenges, including operating in the extremes of the space environment. The laser will now allow automated repairs on the Tiangong, which will extend its life and lay the basis for in-orbit maintenance.

The successful development will, however, have a major impact on the issue of arms control and “weapons in space.” The US Defense Intelligence Agency recently issued a report claiming that China and Russia would deploy space-based directed-energy weapons by the late 2020s, although no evidence was presented for this claim. The report also made the claim that Russia was developing a nuclear device to be used in space, which also presented no evidence for this.