More than a hundred astronomers have signed an open letter calling on the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to suspend the launch of Starlink satellites and their competitors. The reason was concerns about environmental impact and interference with ground-based observatories studying deep space. Astronomers believe launches should be suspended until the environmental risks of deploying thousands of satellites are fully assessed. They criticize the FCC for excluding these internet satellites from environmental review.
“Artificial satellites, even those invisible to the naked eye, can obstruct astronomical observations that help detect asteroids and understand our place in the universe,” said astronomer Robert McMillan of the University of Arizona. The consequences of launching tens of thousands of satellites are still not fully explained, he said.
Now there are more than 9,000 satellites operating in Earth orbit, of which more than half belong to SpaceX’s Starlink — there are about 6,500 of them. By comparison, about 19,500 satellites have been launched into orbit in the history of spaceflight.
Despite the obvious benefits of global fast satellite internet, astronomers are concerned about its impact on observations of the night sky. In addition, radiation from satellite electronics disrupts radio telescopes, making it difficult to explore the farthest parts of space.
Space debris from spent satellites has also become a major problem for low Earth orbit. In addition to the risk of collisions with other vehicles, astronomers point to the environmental consequences: the decommissioned satellites burn up in the atmosphere, polluting it. The Federal Aviation Administration warns that some of the fragments could reach the Earth’s surface, posing a danger to humans.
Lucas Gutterman, director of Public Interest Research Group, who spearheaded the open letter, notes: “The space industry has moved faster than the public or regulators were able to keep up, and we’ll continue to raise the importance of this issue with the public.”
SpaceX had previously agreed to make Starlink satellites harmless to astronomy, but nothing has come beyond promises yet.
Provided by space.com
