Space & Cosmos

Space researchers urge caution as Musk aims to launch tens of thousands of Starlink satellites

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

More than 100 space researchers have written to the federal government asking the federal government to conduct an environmental review before allowing SpaceX to continue launching thousands of satellites for its Starlink internet service. Signed.

The Federal Communications Commission has given Elon Musk’s company permission to launch about 12,000 satellites into space, more than twice the number of non-SpaceX satellites orbiting Earth. SpaceX is asking the FCC to allow it to launch 20,000 more spacecraft.

Although the FCC evaluates the potential harm of satellite constellations, nearly all telecommunications projects involving satellites are currently exempt from formal environmental review. The researchers’ letter released Thursday argues that much has changed since the rule was enacted nearly 40 years ago.

“This is a new technology,” said Lucas Gutterman, director of the Public Interest Research Group’s (PIRG) Designed to Last campaign, which organized the letter.

“It could benefit the public, which is great, but you have to weigh that benefit against the potential harm, and the way to do that is with an environmental review.”

Gutterman said PIRG has been contacted by the FCC and is excited to meet with the agency to discuss the group’s concerns.

The Starlink constellation provides internet coverage around the world, especially in rural communities and countries without reliable cell tower service. The service has provided Internet access to Ukrainian soldiers, hurricane victims, and civilian airline passengers.

SpaceX’s satellites are designed to last approximately five years, after which SpaceX’s ground controllers will deorbit the satellites, burn them up in Earth’s atmosphere, and launch replacements. Incineration of spent satellites could inject metals and other compounds into the upper atmosphere, disrupting the delicate balance of elements and molecules in the atmosphere, the letter argues.

“The industry is moving faster than regulators can act and faster than the public actually realizes,” Gutterman said. “We don’t have results. We just don’t really have data on what impact this new technology might have.”

The Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan federal agency tasked with saving taxpayer money and increasing government efficiency, found in a 2022 report that satellite constellations typically have a significant impact on the environment. We recommended that the FCC reconsider whether or not the The FCC agreed with this finding.

In addition to studying the effects of satellite and rocket launches on the atmosphere, the space researchers who signed the letter rely on clear skies for observations.

When a satellite flies over a telescope’s field of view, it leaves streaks in astronomers’ images. To compensate, scientists had to frequently retake images and develop more sophisticated computer programs to remove the stripes.

“Picture an open book and draw large marker lines across the pages,” said David Jewitt, a renowned astronomy professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who signed the letter. “That’s what they do.”

Jewitt first learned of the letter while dealing with satellite stripes observed with a telescope in Spain.

“Ever since I started doing astronomy, it’s been clear that the number of satellite tracks has increased a lot,” he says. “People want to use space for good purposes, and communication is a good purpose. … So there is a gap between effective use of space and how it affects how we view the night sky. , some moderation is required.”

Gutterman said a review of the environment for giant satellite constellations would be the first step toward much-needed space policy reform.

Currently, there is limited international cooperation in regulating satellite constellations, with separate agencies within the United States overseeing various aspects of their lifecycles, from launch to orbit to decommissioning.

Gutterman said setting clear international standards and streamlining the process in the United States would be a win-win for the scientists involved and the space industry.

This is not the first time Starlink has faced opposition from the public and government officials. After the first few satellites were launched in 2019, astronomers around the world expressed concerns about their reflectivity. In response, SpaceX began applying coatings to its satellites to reduce their shine.

And earlier this month, the California Coastal Commission reduced the number of rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base to 50 per year, citing SpaceX’s increasing use of launches for Starlink satellites rather than military missions. He rejected SpaceX’s plan to increase the number of times.

SpaceX then filed a lawsuit.

The Los Angeles Times in 2024. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Source: Space researchers urge caution as Musk aims to launch tens of thousands of Starlink satellites (October 30, 2024) https://phys.org/news/2024-10-musk -tens-thousands-starlink Retrieved October 30, 2024-satellites.html

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