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In recent years, the night sky has become littered with thousands of satellites, with even more planned for the future. These satellites, particularly those in “mega-constellations” like Starlink, are jeopardizing our connection to the cosmos and creating challenges for astronomers and our understanding of the universe.

New research from Curtin University reveals that Starlink satellites are emitting radio signals that interfere with radio astronomy. Even in remote areas, the satellite emissions outweigh any natural sources in the sky. This poses a significant problem for telescopes that rely on picking up faint signals from immense distances.

The study used radio telescopes in Western Australia and detected unexpected and unintended radio signals coming from the Starlink satellites. These signals may originate from the spacecraft’s electronics, and they represent a serious source of interference for radio telescopes.

The location where this research was conducted is also significant. It is the site where construction has begun for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the largest radio observatory ever planned. The SKA project involves 16 countries and has been in progress for 30 years. The interference caused by satellite emissions undermines the efforts and investments made to create a radio quiet zone for astronomical research.

While satellite operators are not currently violating any regulations, it is crucial to find solutions to mitigate this interference. The regulations governing the use of the radio spectrum are complex and slow to evolve, while satellite technologies are rapidly advancing.

In a positive development, the researchers have engaged with SpaceX engineers who work on the Starlink satellites. SpaceX has already made improvements to reduce the sunlight reflection from the satellites, making them less bright in visible light. However, further reductions in emissions in radio wavelengths are necessary to prevent significant interference with radio astronomy.

Preserving humanity’s ability to explore and understand the universe requires collaboration and goodwill from satellite operators. By mitigating the generation of radio signals, they can help protect our view of the cosmos and the discoveries and technologies that will arise from them.

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