Starlink Satellites Interfering With Astronomical Observations

Irene Klotz March 05, 2020

The diagonal lines in this image of the NGC 5353/4 galaxy group are trails of reflected light left by more than 25 of the 60 SpaceX Starlink satellites as they passed through a Lowell Observatory telescope’s field of view on May 25, 2019. SpaceX is testing darkening coatings to cut the satellites’ reflectivity.
Credit: Victoria Girgis/Lowell Observatory

After the first batch of SpaceX Starlink satellites reached orbit, astronomers soon spotted a glinting, star-like string of pearls draping across the twilight sky as sunlight bounced off the spacecraft train circling 273 mi. (434 km) above Earth. The novelty quickly wore thin. Even after the...

Irene Klotz

Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral. Before joining Aviation Week in 2017, Irene spent 25 years as a wire service reporter covering human and robotic spaceflight, commercial space, astronomy, science and technology for Reuters and United Press International.

Starlink Satellites Interfering With Astronomical Observations is part of our Aviation Week & Space Technology - Inside MRO and AWIN subscriptions.

Subscribe now to read this content, plus receive full coverage of what's next in technology from the experts trusted by the commercial aircraft MRO community.

Already a subscriber to AWST or an AWIN customer? Log in with your existing email and password.

Subscribe Log in

Market Sector

Share

Starlink Satellites Interfering With Astronomical Observations

Share

Related Content