[pjc50]

1) You can't beam round a curved surface and the atmosphere isn't refractive enough in the visible spectrum (only works for shortwave radio)

2) The death ray is an environmental and safety hazard

3) Atmospheric attenuation would probably be more than electrical attenuation at that distance

[nielsbot]

I know HN is not for humor, but i really got a laugh out of “the death ray is an environmental and safety hazard”, listed with such seriousness.

[pjc50]

Thankyou - that was entirely deliberate, you can only get humour past the HN voting system if either it's totally deadpan or you explain the joke in the same comment.

[jason46]

Satellite with a mirror at the apex?