The astronomical community is concerned about unwanted radio waves from the Starlink satellites

SpaceX’s Starlink satellites severely interfere with observations by radio telescopes such as LOFAR by emitting unwanted radio waves at low frequencies. This issue has caused serious concern in the astronomical community, because the increase in the number of satellites in the earth’s orbit has made the future of astronomical research a serious challenge.

According to Tekna Technology Media Astronomy News Service, this issue can delay or even stop progress in our understanding of the universe. Also, this problem is not limited to one telescope or country and affects all radio telescopes in the world. Should companies like SpaceX take more responsibility for the impacts of their activities on the environment and science? Finding technical solutions to reduce or eliminate these impacts requires collaboration between scientists, engineers and policy makers. Radio observations allow us to look deep into the universe and study phenomena such as galaxy formation and the cosmic background radiation. Radio wave interference makes these observations very difficult.

More coordination between satellite companies and the astronomical community to set new standards would be helpful. It is also necessary to develop new technologies to reduce the interference of radio waves in satellites. So far, SpaceX has taken some measures to reduce radio interference, but these measures have not been enough. In addition to SpaceX and the astronomical community, organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) are also trying to find a solution. The interference of radio waves from Starlink satellites with radio telescopes is a serious challenge for the future of astronomical research. To solve this problem, international cooperation and joint efforts of all stakeholders are essential.
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