SpaceX photo Dozens of astronomers, including two linked to Santa Barbara County, have asked the Federal Communications Commission to require an environmental analysis of mega-constellations such as Starlink. The Oct. 24 letter to FCC Space Bureau Chief Julie Kearney occurred as SpaceX continues to send dozens of Starlink satellites into orbit aboard Falcon 9 rockets launched from Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base, including as recently as Wednesday. At Vandenberg, a Falcon rocket and its 20 Starlink satellites, 13 of which had direct-to-cell capabilities, launched at 5:07 a.m. Hours later, another 23 Starlink satellites arrived in space courtesy of a Florida launch. SpaceX said the Florida mission Wednesday marked the 200th carrying Starlink satellites and plans two more missions as soon as this weekend from both coasts. Since any potential environmental harm of launching and burning up so many satellites isn’t clear, the group of astronomers asked for an environmental review. “What we do know is that more satellites and more launches lead to more damaging gasses and metals in our atmosphere,” the letter said, urging caution to take time to study if the benefits justify the potential consequences of these new mega-constellations. “This is a new frontier, and we should save ourselves a lot of trouble by making sure we move forward in a way that doesn’t cause major problems for our future.” Those signing the letter include Andy Howell, an adjunct professor of physics at at UCSB and a senior scientist at the nonprofit Las Cumbres Observatory, and Jatila van der Veen, an adjunct professor of astronomy at Santa Barbara City College. Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, also signed the letter. McDowell keeps a detailed tally of satellites at his website, available by clicking here. SpaceX, which owns Starlink, contends that the company is mindful of issues, noting that its rockets also carry astronauts into space. “As such, we are deeply committed to maintaining a safe orbital environment, protecting human spaceflight, and ensuring the environment is kept sustainable for future missions to Earth orbit and beyond,” SpaceX said, adding that the company remains focused on space sustainability and safety. Astronomers note that the number of satellites in the lowest level of low-Earth orbit has increased by 127 times while the overall number of large LEO satellites has increased 12 times in five years, led by SpaceX. “The new space race is ramping up quickly: Some experts are estimating an additional 58,000 satellites will be launched by 2030. Other plans have been proposed to launch 500,000 satellites to create new mega-constellations that would power satellite internet,” according to the letter. The FCC did not respond to requests for comment. As of Wednesday, Starlink has launched more than 7,200 satellites, although only 6,500 remained in orbit. Sign Up for the A.M. Report Keep up with Noozhawk's daily news coverage, delivered at 4:15 a.m. right to your inbox. Sign up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. It’s not just SpaceX. OneWeb, a Starlink competitor, hired the Falcon 9 rocket to deliver a set of 20 satellites from Vandenberg on Oct. 19. OneWeb now has more than 650 satellites in orbit, and the U.S. Department of Defense also plans mega-constellations. The astronomers’ letter referred to the Government Accountability Office recommendations from 2022 suggesting environmental reviews for the large constellations of satellites. They suggested that regulators should ask if Earth needs multiple disposable constellations competing for the same limited space. The Falcon 9 rocket streaks into the sky after liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base early Wednesday morning to deliver Starlink satellites into orbit. Credit: