Astronomers warn of Starlink satellites’ impact on space research

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

ASTRONOMERS ARE SOUNDING THE ALARM OVER THE INCREASING THREAT POSED BY ELON MUSK’S STARLINK SATELLITES TO GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS.

SCIENTISTS SAY STARLINK SATELLITES ARE EMITTING RADIO WAVES UP TO 32 TIMES STRONGER THAN PREVIOUS VERSIONS, SEVERELY IMPACTING ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH – AND THEIR ABILITY TO observe THE STARS.

RADIO ASTRONOMERS ARE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED AS STARLINK’S INTERFERENCE  OBSTRUCTS THEIR ABILITY TO PEER INTO THE UNIVERSE AND CONDUCT VITAL RESEARCH ON CELESTIAL OBJECTS AND PHENOMENA.

CURRENTLY, APPROXIMATELY 6,400 STARLINK SATELLITES ARE IN ORBIT, MAKING SPACEX THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF SATELLITE-BASED INTERNET SERVICES, WITH PREDICTIONS THAT THE NUMBER COULD REACH 100,000 BY 2030.

RESEARCHERS REPORT THAT THE RADIATION FROM STARLINK SATELLITES IS A STAGGERING 10 MILLION TIMES BRIGHTER THAN THE FAINTEST COSMIC SIGNALS DETECTABLE BY RADIO TELESCOPES.

WITH SPACEX LAUNCHING APPROXIMATELY 40 NEW SATELLITES EACH WEEK, SCIENTISTS WARN THAT THE PROBLEM IS RAPIDLY ESCALATING.

ASTRONOMERS ARE URGING IMMEDIATE ACTION TO MINIMIZE UNINTENDED RADIATION – WHICH THEY SAY SHOULD BE A PRIORITY IN SUSTAINABLE SPACE POLICIES – AS THOUSANDS MORE SATELLITES ARE SET TO LAUNCH.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR