Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites are ‘messing’ with cosmic views and disrupting Earth’s orbit: ‘It’s getting worse'

Elon Musk's Starlink satellites, a revolutionary leap in global internet connectivity, are reportedly causing major disruptions to cosmic observations, raising alarms among scientists. According to researchers from the Netherlands, the latest generation of Starlink satellites is blocking crucial radio signals, and is only getting worse with every new launch.

The growing number of Starlink satellites is creating a digital veil that obscures celestial objects, impacting research on everything from black hole jets to distant galaxies.

Starlinks are ‘hindering’ cosmic observations

The European Low-Frequency Array radio telescope network, a powerful tool for exploring the cosmos is reportedly facing challenges due to the growing number of Starlink satellites being launched. Since SpaceX began launching these satellites, their radio emissions have interfered with LOFAR's ability to detect “faint and distant objects, such as black holes and exoplanets.” This interference has hindered the network's scientific research and limited its potential discoveries.

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According to The Independent, which cited Jessica Dempsey, scientific and general director of the organisation, “Last year, we started to see interference signals in the sky, and we managed to trace them to some of the Starlink satellites from the first generation that were orbiting above the Earth.”

Starlinks emitting unintended electromagnetic radiation

The scientist asserts that Elon Musk's SpaceX, which now operates a constellation of over 6,000 satellites aimed at providing fast internet access to remote areas worldwide, including conflict zones like Ukraine and Yemen, has been unintentionally emitting electromagnetic radiation that interferes with radio telescopes like LOFAR.

Initially, astronomers believed the interference was due to faulty batteries in the satellites. However, after SpaceX launched its updated Starlink V2 Mini satellites, the interference became even more vast. “Starlink was emitting over 30 times more emissions, and now it’s affecting all of the satellites, not just a few,” the researcher added, adding they were ‘shocked.’

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“The brightness in this specific frequency band of the new satellites is about 10 million times brighter. It's like trying to see the faintest star on a dark night only to have the full moon rise right next to it,” Dempsey told the Independent.

The problem is ‘getting worse’

While the scientist noted that the issue was communicated to Musk’s team, the problem continues to escalate daily, as “they’re launching 40 of these ‘full moons’ every week.” Current estimates according to BBC, indicate there are 6,402 Starlink satellites in orbit at approximately 342 miles (550 km) above Earth. These satellites are relatively sizable, featuring 3-meter flat panels and an 8-meter solar array for power.

“So imagine 100,000 full moons up there. Then we can really say goodbye to any kind of astronomy that we would hope to do from the ground," Dempsey added.

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