Scientists: New Starlink satellites threaten astronomical research
- by heise online
- Sep 20, 2024
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This article was originally published in German and has been automatically translated.
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.
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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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