This week, National Science Foundation announced it had reached an agreement with SpaceX to limit the effects of its Starlink satellites on astronomy.
This week, National Science Foundation announced it has reached an agreement with SpaceX to limit the effects of Starlink satellites on astronomy.
There are two main concerns about the impact of Starlink on astronomy. Firstly, that satellites are reflective so they reflect light from the sun, leading to bright streaks in optical astronomical observations of the night sky. This is a particular problem for Starlink compared to other types of satellites as the Starlink satellites sit in very low Earth orbit, meaning they are more prominent in the sky, and there are thousands of them.
The second problem is with radio astronomy. Satellites are designed to operate at a particular radio frequency, however, they can give off radiation outside that band in a phenomenon called frequency bleed. Radio astronomers already have to deal with a lot of background radio noise from Earth to pick out the faint signals from the distant objects they are observing, and having many satellites in the sky makes that harder.
The agreement is not legally binding, but it does show that both groups are trying to work together to both enable global satellite internet and allow astronomical observations. “We are setting the stage for a successful partnership between commercial and public endeavors that allows important scientific research to flourish alongside satellite communication,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan in a statement.
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