Study: SpaceX satellites leak radiation harmful to astronomy
- SpaceX has launched more than 2,000 satellites into space
- A new study says some are emitting electromagnetic radiation
- That radiation may interfere with rRadio telescopes used in astronomy
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(NewsNation) — SpaceX’s Starlink satellites are emitting electromagnetic radiation that is harmful to deep space astronomy, according to a new study.
The radiation is coming from onboard electronics humming at a frequency detected by the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) telescope, an array of radio antennas spread across Europe.
The study, published July 3 in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, analyzed the constellation of satellites that provide internet service to rural areas around the globe. They observed 68 satellites, and 47 of them emitted radiation potentially harmful to astronomical observation.
“This study represents the latest effort to better understand satellite constellations’ impact on radio astronomy,” lead author Federico Di Vruno said in a statement.
Cees Bassa, an astronomer at the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, which manages the LOFAR array, added that the radiation was detected in a frequency range “specifically allocated to radio astronomy by the International Telecommunications Union.”
The researchers noted that SpaceX isn’t in violation of any rules, as this type of radiation is not regulated.
SpaceX is also not the only company to operate low Earth orbit satellites, and the study simulated the effect from several constellations.
“Our simulations show that the larger the constellation, the more important this effect becomes as the radiation from all the satellites adds up. This makes us worried not only about the existing constellations but even more about the planned ones — and also about the absence of clear regulation that protects the radio astronomy bands from unintended radiation,” said co-author Benjamin Winkel from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) in Germany.
Researchers say more collaboration between astronomers, SpaceX and other satellite companies is key to mitigating any negative impacts.
“Tens of thousands of low-Earth orbit satellites are in the making and without proper consideration, these could potentially produce an artificial sphere of ‘radio light’ that leaks into astronomical observations, rendering some astronomical observations impossible,” the study concluded.
