Mini Death Star

The Mini Death Star is a satellite in orbit that unfolds a quite- large telescope, and has a high-energy laser. The laser is powered by a bank of capacitors, which get recharged by a large array of solar cells. Due to inefficiencies in how laser beams are generated, the satellite also needs appropriate radiant-cooling devices. It would be reasonable to design it so that by the time the capacitor banks are recharged after a laser-shot, the laser will have cooled enough that it could shoot again.

The actual laser beam is maybe a centimeter in diameter, and is intended to kill one person. After all, weapons of mass destruction are forbidden to be placed in orbit! The particular orbit should be nearly geosychronous, to maximize time above a target zone. The beam has to be powerful enough to accomplish its task after crossing 35,000+ km of space, passing through 100 kilometers of atmosphere, some layers of clothing, and perhaps a few other minor things like bunker concrete. :)

The satellite is remotely operated, and of course shortly after it is launched it needs to be used to shoot at some test-targets in order to properly synchronize the aiming of the laser with the telescopic "sight". A large-enough telescope will be able to see things at night, and of course infrared sensors can be used, too.

When a war begins (or if already in one, like say with the ISIS gang), then the Mini Death Star can be used to take out individual enemy fighters. Preferred targets would be ranking officers and other leaders, of course. But, hey, if the laser can be fired 10 times an hour (every six minutes), and some particular enemy force consists of 1000 men, then after 100 hours or so the enemy force will be hugely reduced. The sun is always shining in space, so the laser can shoot at night on the ground....