Image credits: IAU
Starlink satellites perform thousands of evasive maneuvers as low-Earth orbit becomes increasingly crowded, fueling fears that a catastrophic impact is inevitable.
SpaceX’s orbital communications satellites performed maneuvers just over 25,000 times during the six-month period between December 1, 2022, and May 21, 2023, the company told the Federal Communications Commission in a recent report. The company explained that it uses a maneuver threshold that is “an order of magnitude” stricter than the industry standard. SpaceX satellites move when the probability of a collision is greater than 1 in 100,000, while NASA and other industrial companies use a threshold of 1 in 10,000.
However, this represented twice the number of evasive maneuvers that Starlink satellites performed during the previous reporting period. The number of collision avoidances follows the growth of the Starlink constellation: in this recent period, SpaceX has reported adding 457 satellites into orbit.
Of the 25,000 maneuvers, more than 1,300 were to avoid debris generated by Russia’s test of anti-satellite weapons in November 2021. While only 9% of the debris generated by this test remains in orbit, this represents the greatest overall risk to satellites. Starlink Industrial, as filed.
Of course, SpaceX isn’t the only company with plans to create a mega-cluster in orbit. Even if some of these projects fail, there will likely still be tens of thousands of objects in space by the end of the decade.
A few days after SpaceX submitted its report, a study published in the Journal of Astronomy & Astrophysics found that Starlink satellites were emitting “unintentional electromagnetic radiation” that could affect astronomical research. The study authors used the Highly Sensitive Low Frequency Array Telescope to detect radiation from 68 Starlink satellites. This differs from the types of signals that astronomers previously had to deal with from communications satellites.
The study authors ran simulations of the impact of several satellite constellations, which showed the cumulative effect of radiation.
“Nos simulations montrent que plus la constellation est grande, plus cet effect devient important to mesure que le rayonnement de tous les satellites s’additionne”, a declaré le co-authur de l’étude Benjamin Winkel of the l’Institut Max Planck de radioastronomie In Germany. “This worries us not only for existing constellations, but also for planned constellations — and also because there are no clear regulations protecting radio astronomy bands from unintentional radiation.”
The study’s lead author, Federico DeFrono, is co-director of the International Astronomical Union’s Center for the Protection of Dark and Quiet Skies. The IAU has been one of the most vocal organizations regarding the potential effects of satellite constellations on astronomy. A press release about the study said the authors are “in close contact” with SpaceX, and the company has already made changes to the next generation of Starlink satellites to help mitigate the impact of these emissions.
“Infuriatingly humble internet aficionados. Proud hooligans. web lover. businessman. Award-winning music attorney.”
