Scientists: New Starlink satellites threaten astronomical research

Satellite constellations such as SpaceX's Starlink are known to hinder astronomical research with their communication signals. This has now been significantly increased with the new generation of Starlink satellites called "V2 Mini", as astronomers have now discovered. According to their findings, this generation of satellites emits radio waves that are up to 32 times stronger than their predecessors, which could practically blind radio telescopes on Earth and massively impair the exploration of the universe.

As early as mid-2023, disruptive leakage radiation was discovered in Starlink satellites, which emanated from the satellites' on-board electronics. This is because astronomy is based on receiving extremely weak signals from the universe. Man-made radio signals can outshine those of cosmic origin many times over. And with the growing number of satellites, the negative effect is likely to become ever greater.

Satellites with larger capacities could amplify these effects once again. This also includes Starlink's V2 Mini. The smaller precursors to the next generation of Starlinks satellites were launched at the beginning of 2023, with each satellite expected to have four times the capacity of its predecessor. For end users, this means "more bandwidth and greater reliability", no matter where they live.

New Starlink satellites emit more radiation

However, the far-reaching internet access apparently comes at a price, as a study by ASTRON, the Dutch operator of the LOFAR antenna array, shows. They have observed that the V2 Mini Starlink satellites emit significantly stronger "unintentional electromagnetic radiation" (UEMR). These radio waves had already been detected in the first generation of Starlink satellites, but they are up to 32 times stronger in the V2 Mini.

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"Compared to the faintest astrophysical sources we observe with LOFAR, UEMR from Starlink satellites is 10 million times brighter. This difference is comparable to the faintest stars visible to the naked eye and the brightness of the full moon. With SpaceX launching about 40 second-generation Starlink satellites every week, this problem is getting worse," explains Cees Bassa, head of the study at ASTRON.

Astronomers call for regulation of satellites

According to Starlink observer Jonathan McDowell, SpaceX currently has almost 6400 satellites orbiting the Earth. Starlink competitor OneWeb has fewer than 1,000 satellites in orbit , according to the BBC, but Amazon plans to put at least 3,000 of its own satellites into orbit over the next few years for its own satellite internet called "Project Kuiper". By 2030, the number of satellites in orbit is expected to exceed 100,000, it says.

"Every time more of these satellites are launched with these kinds of emission levels, we see less and less of the sky," Professor Jessica Dempsey, head of ASTRON, told the BBC. Astronomers are therefore calling for stricter regulations on unintentional radiation from satellites. After all, astronomical research is important for our understanding of the universe and humanity's place in it.

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