Radio waves from these satellites prevent scientists from looking into space.
Elon Musk's new generation of Starlink satellites is causing concern among Dutch scientists. They claim that the new satellites will bring fast internet worldwide and that they will hinder astronomers on a large scale.
Thousands of orbiting Starlink satellites are “blinding” radio telescopes, potentially harming astronomical research, according to researchers from the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON). Because these telescopes use radio waves to study the universe, collecting clean data is made much more complicated by the interference caused by these satellites.
Starlink satellites connect remote areas with broadband internet, whether in challenging conditions such as Ukraine and Yemen or rural districts in the UK. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport reported how tests carried out in 2022 showed Starlink could deliver internet speeds four times faster than the average.
However, scientists argue that this privilege comes at a significant cost in terms of research.
“With LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) we started a program to monitor unintended emissions from satellites belonging to different constellations. Our observations show that the second generation of Starlink satellites emit stronger emissions and do so over a wider range of radio frequencies, compared to the first generation satellites,” said Cees Bassa of ASTRON (Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy), the lead author of the study.
According to a released by ASTRON, The analysis found that these newer satellites emit up to 32 times brighter unintended radio waves compared to the first generation. The levels may exceed internationally established interference thresholds set for intentional emissions and even more relaxed electromagnetic compatibility standards on Earth.
“Compared to the faintest astrophysical sources we observe with LOFAR, UEMR from Starlink satellites is 10 million times brighter. This difference is comparable to the faintest stars visible to the naked eye and the brightness of the full moon. As SpaceX launches about 40 second-generation Starlink satellites every week, this problem is getting worse,” adds Cees Bassa.
“Humanity is clearly approaching a tipping point where we need to take action to preserve our skies as a window to explore the Universe from Earth. Satellite companies are not interested in producing this unintended radiation, so minimizing it should also be a priority in their sustainable space policy,” says Federico Di Vruno of the SKA Observatory. “Starlink is not the only major player in LEO, but they have a chance to set the standard here,” he continues.
The researchers emphasize that while second-generation satellites are designed to improve connectivity and provide communications services, unintended radio emissions pose a growing threat to the integrity of astronomical observations. As the consequences of such interference become increasingly apparent, collaboration between satellite companies, regulators, and the astronomical community is essential to devise effective mitigation strategies.