Second-Generation Starlink Satellites Leak 30 Times More Radio Interference, Threatening Astronomical Observations | ASTRONhttps://www.astron.nl/starlink-satellites/Since 2019, companies like SpaceX and OneWeb have launched hundreds to thousands of satellites, particularly for communication purposes. Plans show that the number of satellites launched into orbit could surpass 100,000 by the end of the decade.
The escalation in radio wave emissions from satellites in LEO raises serious concerns for the future of astronomical research.(…)
“With LOFAR we have started a program to monitor unintended emission from satellites belonging to different constellations, and our observations show that the second-generation Starlink satellites emit stronger emission and do so over a larger range of radio frequencies, compared to the first-generation satellites”, says Cees Bassa from ASTRON (the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy), lead author of the study.
The analysis revealed that these newer satellites emit up to 32 times brighter unintended radio waves compared to the first generation, with levels potentially exceeding internationally regulated thresholds for interference set for intentional emissions and even more relaxed terrestrial electromagnetic compatibility standards.