NASA astronaut Don Pettit published in social networks images taken by him from the ISS. They show bright flashes produced by Starlink satellites.
Starlinks are the most massive spacecraft in human history. As of November 18, 2024, there were 6,624 operational Starlink satellites in Earth orbit. This is more than the number of all other spacecraft put together.
Many astronomers are actively complaining about Starlink, accusing SpaceX of polluting the sky as well as interfering with radio astronomers. Because of this, the company’s engineers have taken a number of measures to reduce the visibility of the units. Nevertheless, they can still be seen in the night sky even with the naked eye. Especially when it comes to recently launched batches forming characteristic “steam trains”.
But from orbit, Starlink may look even brighter. This is confirmed by long exposure images of Earth taken by astronaut Don Pettit. In addition to the standard clear star tracks, they also show short streaks crossing them with a bright flash in the center. This is Starlink.
According to Pettit, Starlink can be seen from the ISS when they are 5 to 18 degrees in front of or behind the Sun and reflect pre-sunset or pre-dawn sunlight from their solar panels. The flashes they produce last for a few seconds.
Pettit figuratively compared Starlink to miniature versions of the monolith from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, where the large flat surface points toward Earth and the solar panels protrude outward like the crest on the back of a dimetrodon (a large animal that existed just before the dinosaurs). The astronaut noted that due to the orientation of the vehicles, the Starlink flashes are not directed toward Earth, but are strikingly bright from orbit.
We previously covered SpaceX’s plans to deploy Starlink on Mars.
