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SpaceX working on fix for Starlink satellites so they don’t disrupt astronomy

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Re: SpaceX working on fix for Starlink satellites so they don’t disrupt astronomy

#21

Post by quantdev »

Tomte wrote: post #16
vasili111 wrote: post #12

Also do not forget that SpaceX is not the only company that wants to launch low orbit satelites. I do not think it is possible to find any other real solution other then to move telescopes to space.

Sure there is another solution: we ban them, or at least highly regulate them. The idea that private companies can just do whatever, and there's nothing we can do is just so cliché HN.

The idea that the ascent of humanity into the stars and the potentially incredible understanding of the universe we could gain would be stopped by 2019 regulations because amateur astronomers are short-sighted is just so cliche HN.

Re: SpaceX working on fix for Starlink satellites so they don’t disrupt astronomy

#22

Post by Tomte »

quantdev wrote: post #21
Tomte wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure there is another solution: we ban them, or at least highly regulate them. The idea that private companies can just do whatever, and there's nothing we can do is just so cliché HN.

The idea that the ascent of humanity into the stars and the potentially incredible understanding of the universe we could gain would be stopped by 2019 regulations because amateur astronomers are short-sighted is just so cliche HN.

Well, the professional astronomers using large telescopes on Earth are the ones deepening our understanding of the universe. Not the greedy entrepreneurs littering the sky with Internet access satellites.

Re: SpaceX working on fix for Starlink satellites so they don’t disrupt astronomy

#23

Post by chr1 »

mentos wrote: post #4

Not a valid solution but I thought maybe SpaceX could launch a bunch of telescope satellites that could be used by hobbyists.

Why is it not a valid solution? It is actually a much better solution than using small low quality telescopes. If starlink is successful in a few years launching satellites will become cheap enough to allow us to launch multiple telescopes better than hubble, and we'll have equivalent of google earth with high quality images of night sky. Combined with VR why would anyone even want to use telescopes? (Maybe people who have personal memories linked to telescopes, like watching night sky with parents, but then even their children would prefer to use the VR version instead).

Re: SpaceX working on fix for Starlink satellites so they don’t disrupt astronomy

#24

Post by TeMPOraL »

XorNot wrote: post #17
dylan604 wrote: post #6

“No one thought of this,” she said. “We didn’t think of it. The astronomy community didn’t think of it.” I really have trouble believing that nobody mentioned adding thousands of satellites would go unnoticed. It is damn near impossible to take any image of the night sky without having a satellite streak through the frame. I have plenty of images with multiple satellites visible at the same time. In wide angle timela…

I think the issue is more that no one has previously been launching constellations of literally thousands of satellites. It's just not a thing that seemed like it would actually happen. I can very much imagine that it didn't get a lot of attention until they actually started going up.

Yes, it might be that the astronomer community didn't expect Starlink to actually happen. A lot of people still haven't learned that SpaceX isn't just hyping things up.

Re: SpaceX working on fix for Starlink satellites so they don’t disrupt astronomy

#25

Post by lacker »

Tomte wrote: post #16
vasili111 wrote: post #12

Also do not forget that SpaceX is not the only company that wants to launch low orbit satelites. I do not think it is possible to find any other real solution other then to move telescopes to space.

Sure there is another solution: we ban them, or at least highly regulate them. The idea that private companies can just do whatever, and there's nothing we can do is just so cliché HN.

I am a big fan of astronomy, but satellites are doing a lot more for humanity than ground-based astronomy.

Re: SpaceX working on fix for Starlink satellites so they don’t disrupt astronomy

#26

Post by wongarsu »

Tomte wrote: post #16
vasili111 wrote: post #12

Also do not forget that SpaceX is not the only company that wants to launch low orbit satelites. I do not think it is possible to find any other real solution other then to move telescopes to space.

Sure there is another solution: we ban them, or at least highly regulate them. The idea that private companies can just do whatever, and there's nothing we can do is just so cliché HN.

Nobody has jurisdiction over space. We can try to create an international agency and get all space fairing nations to submit to its regulations and rulings, but even if that was politically viable it would take years. Meanwhile Starlink will be deployed mid 2020 if no major delays happen

Re: SpaceX working on fix for Starlink satellites so they don’t disrupt astronomy

#27

Post by SEJeff »

Tomte wrote: post #22
quantdev wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The idea that the ascent of humanity into the stars and the potentially incredible understanding of the universe we could gain would be stopped by 2019 regulations because amateur astronomers are short-sighted is just so cliche HN.

Well, the professional astronomers using large telescopes on Earth are the ones deepening our understanding of the universe. Not the greedy entrepreneurs littering the sky with Internet access satellites.

I think you mean, "The greedy engineers that want to use said satellites to pay for a Manned Mars mission and make us a multi-planetary species."

Re: SpaceX working on fix for Starlink satellites so they don’t disrupt astronomy

#28

Post by SEJeff »

Spare_account wrote: post #2

My first thought was that they should paint them with Vantablack, but then I wondered if that might be too dark? Do they need to aim for a specific reflectivity or just aim for the lowest possible value?

That is often considered, but the light is absorbed and turns into heat. Where does that heat go? It would fry the electronics with no way to get rid of it.

Re: SpaceX working on fix for Starlink satellites so they don’t disrupt astronomy

#29

Post by Tomte »

lacker wrote: post #25
Tomte wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure there is another solution: we ban them, or at least highly regulate them. The idea that private companies can just do whatever, and there's nothing we can do is just so cliché HN.

I am a big fan of astronomy, but satellites are doing a lot more for humanity than ground-based astronomy.

What does an Internet access satellite network do for science? Those scientific uses SpaceX talks about are speculative and clearly secondary (or tertiary behind military use).

By contrast, earth-based telescopes are doing lots and lots of science right now.

Re: SpaceX working on fix for Starlink satellites so they don’t disrupt astronomy

#30

Post by throwaway2048 »

dylan604 wrote: post #13
readams wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They announced their plans years ago. The astronomy community could have raised concerns then. The fact that they didn't would indicate nobody connected the dots.

> The fact that they didn't would indicate nobody connected the dots. Or that nobody knew who/where to contact someone to raise their concerns. A lot of people will think that if I just had this thought, then it must be pretty obvious so that others will have the same thought as well. No need for further action. Others will just not feel the need to spend their time/effort trying to look up the complaints department.…

Or they were ignored
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