Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites are emitting radio waves so strong that they cause significant interference with the radio telescopes researchers use to observe space. Researchers from the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) are pissed about it.
The first generation of Starlink satellites already emitted huge amounts of radio waves that pestered space researchers. Making things worse, the new generation emits 32 times more than those did.
That’s affecting ASTRON, home to the LOFAR radio telescope, one of humanity’s most powerful tools for observing the universe. Like the ideal lover, its sensitivity is what makes it so powerful. It can detect stuff that’s giving off even the tiniest little bit of frequency.
Altogether, Elon’s satellites give off around 10 million times more electromagnetic radiation than the faintest cosmic signals. And they’re launching around 40 of these satellites per week. With each new round of satellites launched into space, ASTRON’s ability to observe space weakens.
Forty satellites a week sounds like a lot, right? Well, one estimate suggests that there are already 6,402 Starlink satellites in orbit. The closest competitor only has 1,000 up there. Amazon is going to get into the space internet game with plans to launch at least 3,000 satellites into space soon. By 2030, it’s speculated that there are going to be over 100,000 satellites in space.
All that noise is threatening space observation and research. And with so many more private companies heading to space, it’s likely going to become even noisier out there.
It’s not just electromagnetic signals that they are disrupting, either. The light emitted from the satellites is making it more difficult to observe space with our own eyes. The constellations humans have been staring up at for centuries are becoming harder for us to see. To spread terrestrial connectivity, we are cutting ourselves off from our celestial neighborhood. Sad.
The post Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellites Are Blinding Radio Telescopes appeared first on VICE.
The post Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellites Are Blinding Radio Telescopes appeared first on VICE.
