Musk’s Starlink Satellites Cause Cosmic Chaos: 6,400 Reasons Why Astronomers Are Seeing Black
Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellites Interfere with Astronomical Observations
- Production of second-generation Starlink satellites increased 32-fold
- Radio waves, radiation, light, etc. block the telescope’s view
Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s 5G satellite internet project, “Starlink,” has been claimed to be interfering with astronomers’ space observations. Similar concerns have been raised several times in the past, but the problem is that the second-generation Starlink satellites are much more powerful in their emission, so the level of interference is higher than before.
Professor Jessica Dempsey, project director of the Dutch radio telescope “ASTRON,” stated that every time a Starlink satellite is in orbit, the observation capabilities of radio telescopes are weakened. “We conduct research that observes the air currents ejected by black holes or analyzes the shape of the first galaxies,” she added. “Such work requires the ability to capture the universe hundreds of millions of light years away.”
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A radio telescope is a device that measures long distances using radio waves instead of visible light. It is mostly placed on the ground in the form of an antenna and works by collecting and analyzing tiny radio waves that fly from space. As radio waves increase in Earth’s orbit, it becomes more difficult to capture radio waves from space.
The problem is the recently launched second-generation Starlink satellite. Its radio output is said to have become as much as 32 times stronger than that of the first-generation satellite and is starting to have a clear negative impact on Astron.
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Starlink currently has about 6,400 satellites in orbit. Starlink rival OneWeb, the UK, has also launched more than 1,000 satellites, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s satellite internet project is also targeting a constellation of 3,000 satellites within the next few years. It is estimated that by 2030, more than 10,000 internet satellites will be operational on Earth.
Radio waves aren’t the only thing that’s hindering astronomical research. Solar panels, reflected light and the lights used to power satellites also have a serious impact on the observatory. Professor Dempsey said: “I was a bit shocked when I caught the flashing signal from the Starlink satellite,” and stressed: “These satellites are actually threatening the whole of ground-based astronomical observation and analysis.”
He also warned: “If there are no mitigation measures to silence satellite noise, astronomy could face a crisis in the future.”
Currently, astronomers point out that simply wrapping a protective shield around the satellite’s secondary cell (battery) can be effective enough. The idea is that by weakening the radiation, light and radio waves emitted by satellites, it will alleviate “space pollution”. However, if such regulations are not introduced, “soon, the only constellations that humans will be able to see from Earth may be satellite constellations”.