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yesterday

Unintended Starlink Emissions Jeopardize Radio Astronomy Observations

New analysis finds electronic noise from over 7,000 satellites seeping into protected bands, disrupting up to 30% of radio astronomy datasets.

Conceptual image of a Starlink satellite orbiting Earth. (Image by PHOTOCREO Michal Bednarek)
Sixty Starlink satellites are nestled in the cargo bay of a Falcon 9 rocket that's about to enter orbit. Image via Space X / Wikimedia Commons. (CC0 1.0 Universal)
Starlink satellites interfere with space research, claim astronomers concerned about observations
Falcon 9 lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, delivering 60 Starlink satellites to orbit (Credit : US Air Force)

Overview

  • The Curtin University survey analyzed 76 million sky images and logged more than 112,000 unintended emissions from 1,806 Starlink satellites, including 477 launched during the four-month study period.
  • Up to 30% of some low-frequency datasets have been corrupted by leaked electronic noise originating in satellite power systems and onboard processors rather than deliberate transmissions.
  • The study detected 703 satellites emitting in the 150.8 MHz band reserved for radio astronomy, exposing a loophole in International Telecommunication Union rules that cover only intentional transmissions.
  • With over 7,000 satellites in its constellation, Starlink now represents the leading source of interference and poses risks to flagship projects like the Square Kilometre Array, which require near-total electromagnetic quiet.
  • Researchers are conducting constructive talks with SpaceX and pressing the International Telecommunication Union to update regulations to limit unintentional satellite emissions.