[nine_k]

I can imagine lightweight semi-permanent disablement by spraying paint on lenses and wrapping the entire craft in aluminum foil. Zero space debris, and not even destruction of property.

This takes more fuel and an advanced robot craft, but should be preferable for a time when a fast all-out war is not being fought. And I hope both sides would like to avoid an all-out war.

[FredPret]

Space rendezvous is really hard. Easier to get line-of-sight and then beam attack it

[nine_k]

Hitting is easier of course!

The idea is to disable a satellite in a nicest possible way, in order to look good in the eyes of everyone but the adversary.

[dragontamer]

A laser-beam attack is when you shine a laser into the satellite's lenses, meaning its blind for the duration of the laser-beam.

As such, you can disable an opponent's satellite without destroying it. It just doesn't work for the duration of the laser-beam attack.

[nine_k]

This works against optical surveillance.

My idea was also targeting e.g. navigation and communication satellites. Maybe coming close and drowning their transmission in white noise could work. It would take imitating their antennas' direction pretty well.

[FredPret]

You’d probably have to hack it then. Getting there and wrapping it in foil / sabotaging it would be unbelievably hard and clearly visible to the whole world’s radar systems

[nine_k]

I don't think that a rocket attack would stay invisible.

If the target satellite would start maneuvering to avoid capture, it's OK because now it's useless as a navigation satellite, and is harder if even still possible to use for communication and surveillance.