Chinese space scientists say they have performed precision laser cutting in orbit for the first time, with equipment fixed to the exterior of China's Tiangong space station, the South China Morning Post reports. According to the state-run Science and Technology Daily, cited by the Post, a robotic arm fitted with a laser maintenance tool made millimetre-scale cuts in a piece of large equipment while being controlled remotely from hundreds of kilometres away.
Laser cutting uses a focused beam to slice or melt material very accurately, and is considered difficult and risky to carry out in space. The technique could eventually be used to repair or maintain spacecraft and other structures in orbit. The claim of a world first comes from Chinese official reporting and has not been independently verified.
Source: South China Morning Post