Will Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites harm astronomy? Here’s what we know.
An ambitious project to offer global internet service has raised concerns about space junk, light pollution, and astronomical observations.
If SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has his way, Earth’s skies will soon be spangled with about 12,000 false stars—the speeding, reflected gleams from a mega-constellation of telecommunications satellites collectively called Starlink. Once complete, perhaps in the mid-2020s, Starlink will ostensibly connect the entire planet to the internet, providing fast broadband access to remote areas as well as planes, ships, and cars.
Already, Musk has put the first phase of his plan into action. On May 23, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried 60 Starlink satellites into orbit. But almost as soon as the fleet deployed, it ignited conversations about the ethics of a single company unilaterally changing the night sky’s appearance. (Find out more about the hazards of
