Astronomers warned us that the number of satellites that are being sent into the orbit in the following months are able to cut us off from the cosmos. Not temporarily, but for good. This prediction came just days after SpaceX, launched 60 satellites at once. This takes part in a project that wants to send up to 42.000 satellites into space in the next years. These are part of the company’s Starlink constellation of small satellites, which are made to give us flawless internet connections on Earth – even from the weirdest locations.
These 60 satellites, which were launched on Monday, will be added to the list, together with dozens launched in May, with the first Starlink flight. About 8000 satellites have been sent to space throughout history, and about 2000 are currently active out there.
SpaceX has permissions for more than 12.000 satellites from regulators, and they have also requested permissions for more 30.000 satellites. Elon Musk stated that the project could get $30 billion, or even more than that in revenue every year.
An astronomers from the Paris observatory, Philippe Zarka, issued a warning on Tuesday, saying that such satellites risk polluting the space forever.
He said that the low-Earth orbit, which is the one that’s near our planet, is already full of many satellites and junk, and Musk wants to put up to 42.000 more satellites there. He also said that this idea is complete madness. With the radio fog and the pollution that these satellites are able to create, it would have been quite difficult for scientists to catch the first-ever photo of a black hole. The spacecraft would cut us off from the cosmos.
Philippe Zarka is not the only one concerned about this idea. . The International Astronomical Union are also concerned about it.
