Fun fact, there are now more Starlink satellites in space than there are Tesla Supercharger stations in the U.S., with the internet-enabled satellites outnumbering charging stations at a rate of around three to one. Now, the 6,350 satellites are beginning to annoy the world’s astronomers, who report that the extra space junk is getting in the way of some pretty important science.
The first 60 Starlink satellites were launched in May 2019 and as of August 2024, that number has swollen to well over 6,000 satellites in orbit above earth. Now, Starlink has plans to expand its fleet to more than 12,000 orbiting satellites, which is proving to be troubling for astrophysicists around the world, reports the BBC.
The huge number of Starlink satellites in orbit is blocking our view of the cosmos and the radiation emitted by the crafts is interfering with all kinds of delicate instruments here on Earth. As the BBC explains:
Radio waves from Elon Musk’s growing network of satellites are blocking scientists’ ability to peer into the universe, according to researchers in the Netherlands.
The new generation of Starlink satellites, which provide fast internet around the world, are interfering more with radio telescopes than earlier versions, they say.
The thousands of orbiting satellites are “blinding” radio telescopes and may be hindering astronomical research, according to Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON).
The interference that the satellites are causing is a headache for researchers, who say that they see “less and less of the sky” as the Starlink fleet expands, reports Futurism. As a result, research into galaxies, stars and exoplanets that lie “millions and millions of light years away” is under threat.
Because the interstellar objects that these researchers are studying are so damn far away, the signals observed on Earth can easily be overshadowed by the light and other radiation emitted by Starlink satellites. As Futurism adds:
“Compared to the faintest astrophysical sources that we observe with LOFAR, [electromagnetic radiation] from Starlink satellites is 10 million times brighter,” Bassa explained. “This difference is similar to the faintest stars visible to the naked eye and the brightness of the full moon.”
Though astronomers spoke with SpaceX about such concerns years prior to the launch of the second generation of satellites, which have been debuting in orbit since early 2023, it seems pretty clear the Musk-owned company didn’t heed the warning.
“Since SpaceX is launching about 40 second-generation Starlink satellites every week,” Bassa continued, “this problem is becoming increasingly worse.”
With the number of satellites orbiting above Earth projected to surpass 100,000 by 2030, our ability to delve into the deepest depths of our universe could take a massive hit. On top of that, there’s the added risk of having all that stuff floating about above the planet, with concerns over the amount of space junk rising after orbital trash started falling from the sky.