
SpaceX’s Starlink satellites are messing with astronomy. It’s just the beginning - throw0101a
https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2020/1/7/21003272/space-x-starlink-astronomy-light-pollution
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maxharris
This is out-of-date. SpaceX is working with astronomers to solve this problem.
Just _yesterday_ they launched 60 satellites, one of which is covered in a new
coating designed to mitigate the issue.

[https://interestingengineering.com/spacex-to-coat-
satellite-...](https://interestingengineering.com/spacex-to-coat-satellite-
with-non-reflective-substance-to-dull-brightness)

Everyone I know that works there cares about this problem, and the last thing
they need is need even more pressure from people to solve it. Gwynne Shotwell
herself has spoken extensively on the topic:

[https://spacenews.com/spacex-working-on-fix-for-starlink-
sat...](https://spacenews.com/spacex-working-on-fix-for-starlink-satellites-
so-they-dont-disrupt-astronomy/)

I'd also like to add that what they are doing here is iterating very rapidly,
and these things are going to just keep getting better and better at
everything. It's a mistake to think of these as static, permanent fixtures!

~~~
rini17
Instead of redesigning or coating the satellites, SpaceX is placing a test
coating on one side of one satellite, meaning that 98% of the new satellites
will be unchanged. Stating that the test coating was "just an experiment" and
that the approach was "trial and error" signaled what a low priority
addressing astronomers' concerns were.

[https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2019/12/11/elon...](https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2019/12/11/elon-
musk-spacex-unveil-latest-starlink-plans-creating-an-astronomical-emergency/)

~~~
maxharris
Exactly whose interests are served by stirring up anger? According to the
articles I have read about it, SpaceX is in contact with astronomy groups on
this issue.

These satellites are not permanent. There are plans that have been filed with
the FCC regarding de-orbiting (if I understand this correctly, this is at most
5-7 years, plus at most an additional year to propulsively de-orbit them). I
don't have any insider knowledge, but I believe that it is quite likely that
many of the early shiny ones will be de-orbited much more quickly than this as
more satellites are added. It is crucial to remember that there will be many
_thousands_ of these satellites by the time the network is complete.

A drastic redesign solely for the purpose of mitigating this issue probably
isn't helpful because there are many other physical constraints involved. One
example is the issue with heat dissipation if both sides were were coated. Why
do a redesign when the engineers don't believe it is necessary? That's an
awful lot of design, test and validation work to throw out, with little
guarantee that much could be improved in that regard anyway.

Success here requires being patient and seeing how the tests go in reality,
just like they did with the booster landings. This approach is a much better
idea than flipping the priorities by worrying _first_ about the way that non-
experts will feel about it. In the end, the goal is to actually have a network
of satellites that improves the lives of billions of human beings, while also
not destroying the night sky for those that want to take pictures of it. This
is a massive undertaking, and without patience and cool heads, it will not
succeed.

~~~
rini17
If you are responsible for very expensive scientific equipment, that will
likely get unusable for years or even possibility of damage, fully dependent
on goodwill and promises... you voice your grave concerns and get dismissed
"bah just stirring anger to serve some interests"

Until SpaceX gets some senior astronomers onboard with some plan, I'm not
convinced.

------
ecpottinger
So lets see if I get this right. SpaceX tells when and where it's satellites
will be orbit, yet somehow the ability to filter they out does not exist?

How do they handle the THOUSANDS of objects already orbiting Earth then?

Second, is it not time to start thinking of space based telescopes, and even
what you can do with orbiting scopes pointed to the same area of the sky?

~~~
rini17
With competitors such as Kuiper Systems and OneWeb planning on launching
similar networks, and Starlink attempting to procure approval for a total of
42,000 satellites, it's possible that looking through a pair of binoculars in
2030 would reveal more satellites than stars.

[https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2019/12/11/elon...](https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2019/12/11/elon-
musk-spacex-unveil-latest-starlink-plans-creating-an-astronomical-emergency/)

