Technology

On Reddit I remember getting called a "space Karen" for pointing this out in a discussion about Starlink. Elon Musk fanboys are some of the worst. Second only to Q fanboys.

Yeah, and if we did not abandon our traditional networks then there would not be such a strong market for STARMLINK.

Sounds to me like it's about time we build an observatory on the moon.

I do wonder how much the average people commenting would care if musk had nothing to do with this.

It's an issue, but it's an issue scientists knew was coming for decades now. Starlink isn't the only company putting satellites into low earth orbit. They aren't the first and the amount of them will just keep coming.

What we need is regulations and requirements for how many, what purpose, how they'll be dealt with if something goes wrong and when they're no longer needed, etc. Getting people to share satellites that are already there (when possible) and not putting up satellites that are redundant or don't provide that much benefit versus non-satellite options or further orbit options will be important.

But all these mindless circlejerkers only talking about musk and wanting starlink "taken down" are really polluting the topic with meaningless bullshit. It's unfortunate people are bringing these mindless circlejerks over from reddit.

Based on the article the satellites are not staying 100% on their intended spectrum spec and are bleeding some unintended interfere noise. I hope the starlink cloud doesn't interfere so much that it excludes possibility of some research. On earth, if you transmit even slightly out-of-spec radio signals, the government agencies will get mad and really really fast.

ELI5: Low earth orbit is becoming over crowed "FM radio station", with regulation lacking who can broadcast and at what frequency.

• Send 40k satellites to pollute low-earth orbit (and provide internet)

• Develop rockets that would more affordably send payload above LEO

• Push scientists to get funding and launch more telescopes above LEO

• Profit.

Talk about demand generation…

Interesting. I remember there was a brightness concern with the satellites reflecting too much light, but assumed it was all ok because IIRC they hit their reflectivity reduction targets.

However, this seems to be about transmissions from the satellites interfering with non-visible observations.

In a study, published in the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal, scientists used a powerful telescope in the Netherlands to observe 68 of SpaceX's satellites and detected emissions from satellites are drifting out of their allocated band, up in space.

... "Why this matters is because of the number," Dr Di Vruno said. "Suppose that there is a satellite in space that radiates this kind of signal, there is a very, very small chance that this satellite will be in the beam, in the main site, of your telescope."

Imagine you are working your entire life in science. To find were we are coming from - were we are going to - spending millions of dollars for the most sophisticated Instruments.

And then some random moron with too much money appears and moons you every few minutes.

It'll be interesting when some untouchable actor decides enough is enough and starts deorbiting them.

This has been going on for much longer than Starlink.

There were a number of observatories built in or near cities. They became mostly useless once we figured out electric lights but we still use them for education sometimes.

SpaceX has been working with the NSF so they can continue to dim Starlink https://spacenews.com/nsf-and-spacex-reach-agreement-to-reduce-starlink-effects-on-astronomy/

Now we're putting more and more observation capabilities deep into space. JWT is already getting images better than anything you could get on earth, even if you eliminated Starlink and turned off every light on the planet. Ground based astronomical observation is still relevant but we keep coming up with better alternatives.

Muskrat furiously making alts to downvote.

I heard he'll be done in just 2 years!

ELI5 - why do satellites need to be bright? Do they have some kind of lights? Can't they just be dark and beam internet around?

"No, it's not." - Elon, probably

I think this was on my bingo card