Astronomy Faces A Mega-Crisis As Satellite Mega-Constellations Loom
“Moreover — and this is something that understandably troubles many in the community — not a single company has pledged to meet the modest goals put forth by astronomers: that satellites be no brighter than magnitude +7 at altitudes no higher than 600 km. In fact, of the more than 1000 satellites that have currently been launched to provide next-generation communications, exactly zero of them meet the desired criteria. On a clear, dark night, their presence already cannot be avoided.
Until a set of toothsome international regulations are put into place that would effectively govern the responsible uses of space, the worst-case scenarios we can concoct cannot be ignored. If enough satellites are present, an unfortunate collision could set off a chain reaction, turning low-Earth orbit into a debris field that will last for centuries. Scientific surveys will cost more and require longer periods of time, and many scientific products will see more false positives and be of inferior quality. As it stands now, the future of astronomy on Earth hinges on the present and near-future actions of a relatively small number of satellite providers.”
Have you looked up at a dark night sky recently and felt like something was different. Have you noticed what appear to be slow-moving satellites out of the corner of your eye, only to see them disappear when you look towards them, but then reappear when you look away once again?
Those aren’t your eyes playing tricks on you; that’s a sign of what’s to come if satellite megaconstellation providers don’t meet astronomers’ recommendations.
