Astronomers Push FCC to Halt New Starlink Launches, Citing Environment
A group of 120 astronomers and space experts is calling for a pause on new Starlink launches from SpaceX until the US can fully investigate the environmental effects of large satellite constellations.
“We can have affordable internet for everyone without surrounding our globe with tens or hundreds of thousands of disposable satellites that could harm our environment,” the group says.
In a letter to the FCC, the astronomers voiced concern about the rise of "mega constellations" from companies racing to develop low-Earth orbiting satellite communication systems.
SpaceX has been at the forefront, operating over 6,000 Starlink satellites, or what amounts to about 60% of all active spacecraft around Earth. In addition, the company is making a new push to increase the Starlink constellation to nearly 30,000 satellites in an effort to improve the system’s internet speeds and latency.
When they reach end of life, Starlink satellites are designed to burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. That’s a problem, according to the astronomers, since the environmental impact of launching and disposing of tens of thousands of satellites is unclear, although an initial study suspects doing so might disrupt the Earth’s ozone layer.
