Satellites drowning out star research
A survey by Curtin University researchers has found emissions from satellites' onboard electronics are drowning out the faint radio waves astronomers use to study the universe.
The researchers from the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research focused on the Starlink service as it has the most satellites in orbit — more than 7000 at the time of the study.
Starlink is a private satellite internet service launched by aerospace company SpaceX, which promises faster internet connections, particularly for rural and remote areas.
The research team collected and analysed 76 million images of the sky using a prototype station for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which will be the world's largest and most sensitive radio telescope once fully built later this decade.
PhD candidate and study lead Dylan Grigg said the team detected more than 112,000 radio emissions from 1806 Starlink satellites.
'Starlink is the most immediate and frequent source of potential interference for radio astronomy: it launched 477 satellites during this study's four-month data collection period alone,' Mr Grigg said.
'In some datasets, we found up to 30 per cent of our images showed interference from a Starlink satellite.
'Because they may come from components like onboard electronics and they're not part of an intentional signal, astronomers can't easily predict them or filter them out.'
Study co-author John Curtin Distinguished Professor Steven Tingay said policies that regulated satellite technology needed to be updated.
'It is important to note that Starlink is not violating current regulations, so is doing nothing wrong. Discussions we have had with SpaceX on the topic have been constructive,' he said.
Professor Tingay said satellite technology and radio astronomy were both important but needed to exist in harmony.
The study's results were published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Perth Now
Curtin University researchers make epic space discovery
Astronomers are paying the price for faster internet. A survey by Curtin University researchers has found emissions from satellites' onboard electronics are drowning out the faint radio waves astronomers use to study the universe. The researchers from the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research focused on the Starlink service as it has the most satellites in orbit — more than 7000 at the time of the study. Starlink is a private satellite internet service launched by aerospace company SpaceX, which promises faster internet connections, particularly for rural and remote areas. The research team collected and analysed 76 million images of the sky using a prototype station for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which will be the world's largest and most sensitive radio telescope once fully built later this decade. PhD candidate and study lead Dylan Grigg said the team detected more than 112,000 radio emissions from 1806 Starlink satellites. 'Starlink is the most immediate and frequent source of potential interference for radio astronomy: it launched 477 satellites during this study's four-month data collection period alone,' Mr Grigg said. 'In some datasets, we found up to 30 per cent of our images showed interference from a Starlink satellite. 'Because they may come from components like onboard electronics and they're not part of an intentional signal, astronomers can't easily predict them or filter them out.' Study co-author John Curtin Distinguished Professor Steven Tingay said policies that regulated satellite technology needed to be updated. 'It is important to note that Starlink is not violating current regulations, so is doing nothing wrong. Discussions we have had with SpaceX on the topic have been constructive,' he said. Professor Tingay said satellite technology and radio astronomy were both important but needed to exist in harmony. The study's results were published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Perth Now
Satellites drowning out star research
Astronomers are paying the price for faster internet. A survey by Curtin University researchers has found emissions from satellites' onboard electronics are drowning out the faint radio waves astronomers use to study the universe. The researchers from the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research focused on the Starlink service as it has the most satellites in orbit — more than 7000 at the time of the study. Starlink is a private satellite internet service launched by aerospace company SpaceX, which promises faster internet connections, particularly for rural and remote areas. The research team collected and analysed 76 million images of the sky using a prototype station for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which will be the world's largest and most sensitive radio telescope once fully built later this decade. PhD candidate and study lead Dylan Grigg said the team detected more than 112,000 radio emissions from 1806 Starlink satellites. 'Starlink is the most immediate and frequent source of potential interference for radio astronomy: it launched 477 satellites during this study's four-month data collection period alone,' Mr Grigg said. 'In some datasets, we found up to 30 per cent of our images showed interference from a Starlink satellite. 'Because they may come from components like onboard electronics and they're not part of an intentional signal, astronomers can't easily predict them or filter them out.' Study co-author John Curtin Distinguished Professor Steven Tingay said policies that regulated satellite technology needed to be updated. 'It is important to note that Starlink is not violating current regulations, so is doing nothing wrong. Discussions we have had with SpaceX on the topic have been constructive,' he said. Professor Tingay said satellite technology and radio astronomy were both important but needed to exist in harmony. The study's results were published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
ABC News
4 days ago
- ABC News
NBN Co partners with Amazon to take on Starlink in the bush
On today's show: Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service has become a significant part of the national telecommunications network over the last few years, used by over 200,000 customers who are largely in rural and remote areas and even integrated into emergency services. But this satellite service, which operates in the low orbit, will now have some competition. NBN Co and Amazon have signed an agreement to deliver high-speed broadband to more than 300,000 customers in regional Australia also using Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology from Amazon's Project Kuiper. This will replace NBNCo's at times maligned Skymuster service. More players are set to enter the market with Optus looking to establish its own Low Earth Satellite internet services. Reporter: Sinead Mangan with telecommunications analyst Paul Budde Volunteers across Australia are working to make the dream of safe sleeping for homeless people a reality after the collapse of the national charity Sleepbus earlier this year. In January, the non-for-profit Sleepbus, which aimed to transform old buses into temporary accommodation, announced it had folded due to financial pressures. At the time, the organisation said it would cease managing its operating buses across the country and wold finish construction and delivery of outstanding buses by July. Now, volunteer community groups are preparing to run the buses themselves. Reporter: Charles Rushforth (Coffs Harbour) International metals producer Nyrstar will receive a $135 million bailout from the federal, South Australian and Tasmanian governments to support its struggling businesses in Port Pirie and Hobart. The company said that the funding would enable it — together with its parent company Trafigura — to "maintain its ongoing operations" while working on engineering planning towards a significant rebuild of its Australian smelters. According to Nyrstar, the company employs 1,400 direct workers in Australia and supports 6,600 indirect jobs. Reporter: Viki Ntafilis (Port Pirie) The NSW government has released a new interactive map identifying the most unsafe roads across the state, but it is not telling Tumbarumba residents anything they did not already know. All four roads leading to and from the town, 110 kilometres south-east of Wagga Wagga, were given a rating of one out of five stars. That means the Snowy Mountains Highway, Batlow Road, Tumbarumba Road and Jingellic Road were among the least safe in the state. Reporter: Andrew Mangelsdorf (Wagga Wagga)
