Latest news with #SquareKilometreArray
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Science
- 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
4 days ago
- Science
- 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.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Aussie researchers warn of 'unintended' Starlink issue amid growing adoption
Australian researchers are highlighting a frustrating problem in the skies above us as the growing number of satellites providing high-speed internet connectivity are having unintended consequences, potentially hindering our ability to understand the universe. New research has shown how the satellite technology of private companies like Starlink — increasingly relied upon by Aussies — is inadvertently interfering with the ability of researchers to study the depths of the cosmos. The warning comes after astronomers in Western Australia undertook the world's biggest study of low frequency satellite radio emissions. And it comes at a particularly critical time as construction continues in the state on what will become the world's largest radio telescope — a massive project known as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) that promises to help answer some of the biggest questions in the field. "It's going to be the largest radio telescope of all time, and it's looking for very faint signals from the early universe," PhD candidate and study lead Dylan Grigg told Yahoo News Australia. "And so what we wanted to do was understand the prevalence of satellites at the frequencies that the Square Kilometre Array would be looking over." The researchers essentially took an image of the sky every two seconds for about a month, totalling some 76 million images. "We detected a lot of satellites in the images. The overwhelming majority of those were Starlink satellites," Grigg said. "And what we found was that they're not transmitting at their designated downlink frequency, there's some emissions coming from some electronics on board the satellites." At some frequencies about a third of the images were ultimately impacted, and the disturbance was observed at frequencies that are set aside for radio astronomy. For instance, 703 satellites were identified at 150.8 MHz, which is meant to be protected for radio astronomy. While Starlink, which had more than 7,000 satellites in low-Earth orbit during the period when the study was carried out, isn't doing anything wrong, the devices "just happen to be [emitting] over frequencies that radio astronomers will want to be conducting science with the SKA," Grigg said. Industry and academia clash as space fills up Australians in regional areas have increasingly adopted Starlink's internet services, with the company previously saying it has more than 200,000 local subscribers. While many residents in the bush rely on it for fast home internet, caravan travellers also take it on the road to stay connected at campgrounds and remote spots around the country. The WA astronomers don't dispute the boon the service provides, but hope the research will help lead to solutions to ensure scientists and private business can operate in harmony. "We've had a dialogue ongoing with SpaceX about it. They've made good mitigations in the past for optical astronomy, like they've painted their satellites with a darker paint, and they've put visors up on them. So we're hoping that by doing a study like this, we can continue the dialogue with them and hopefully see if we can get them to make some similar mitigations for radio as well." With Amazon launching satellites in a bid to compete with Starlink, and a raft of other companies launching their own satellites for various networks including emerging direct to mobile technology, low-Earth orbit is becoming an increasingly busy place. "Starlink isn't the only satellite network, but it is by far the biggest and its emissions are now increasingly prominent in our data," Executive Director of the Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy and study co-author Steven Tingay said in a statement. New SKA project puts astronomy on 'edge of golden era' Being assembled at more than 500 sites in the Australian outback and due to be finished by the end of the decade, the SKA will be the largest and most sensitive radio telescope on the planet. The international project has been likened to one of the world's biggest science experiments that will be able to peer back into the earliest time of the universe. "It'll be a game-changer," Grigg told Yahoo News. Professor Tingay said it will help answer some of the most important questions we have. "We're standing on the edge of a golden era where the SKA will help answer the biggest questions in science: how the first stars formed, what dark matter is and even test Einstein's theories," he said. "But it needs radio silence to succeed. We recognise the deep benefits of global connectivity but we need balance, and that starts with an understanding of the problem, which is the goal of our work." Their research highlighting the "unintended Starlink broadband emission on radio astronomy" in the SKA bands was published this month in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Fast internet is getting in the way of understanding the universe, scientists warn
The rush for faster and more widely available internet is making it harder to understand the cosmos, according to scientists. SpaceX's Starlink satellites are intended to circle the Earth and offer fast internet in regions that might otherwise be underserved. The company has launched thousands of them in recent years, with a view to covering the planet with signals. But researchers have found that the satellites are interfering with radio astronomy, getting in the way of astronomers' view of space. The satellites leak out unintended signals that drown out the often very faint radio waves that astronomers use to see the universe. The new work from Curtin University looked specifically at SpaceX's Starlink because it has the most satellites in orbit. But a number of other companies are looking to use satellites to offer faster and more widely available internet. In the research, scientists gathered 76 million images of the sky using an early version of the Square Kilometre Array, which will be the world's biggest and most sensitive radio telescope when it is finished later this decade. In that data, scientists found more than 112,000 radio emissions from 1,806 Starlink satellites. Those emissions could make it much more difficult for scientists to see the important radio signals that they rely on. '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,' said Dylan Grigg, who led the study. 'In some datasets, we found up to 30 per cent of our images showed interference from a Starlink satellite.' Many of those signals were not being intentionally emitted from the satellites, and come more strongly at different frequencies than expected. That could make it difficult for researchers to pick them out. 'Some satellites were detected emitting in bands where no signals are supposed to be present at all, such as the 703 satellites we identified at 150.8 MHz, which is meant to be protected for radio astronomy,' Mr Grigg said. '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.' That interference could eventually keep us from understanding deep truths of the cosmos, the researchers warned. 'We're standing on the edge of a golden era where the SKA will help answer the biggest questions in science: how the first stars formed, what dark matter is and even test Einstein's theories,' said Steven Tingay, who helped author the study. 'But it needs radio silence to succeed. We recognise the deep benefits of global connectivity but we need balance and that starts with an understanding of the problem, which is the goal of our work.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
Broadcast Pro
26-06-2025
- Science
- Broadcast Pro
Zambia joins Africas radio astronomy network with TART telescope
The device is intended for real-time, all-sky observation of transitory events such as satellites, near-Earth objects, and other cosmic phenomena. The Copperbelt University in Kitwe, Zambia, has become part of a growing network of radio astronomy infrastructure across Africa following the installation of the Transient Array Radio Telescope (TART). This 24-element system is designed for real-time, all-sky monitoring of transient cosmic events and marks the fifth TART deployment on the continent, joining existing arrays in Botswana, Kenya, Mauritius and South Africa, as reported by SpaceinAfrica. TART, developed in partnership with the Electronics Research Foundation in New Zealand, is a compact, open-source radio telescope geared toward tracking satellites, near-Earth objects, and other astrophysical phenomena. In addition to its scientific capabilities, the system serves as an accessible platform for practical training and algorithm development, offering valuable experience to emerging scientists and engineers in radio astronomy. The installation was supported by DARA (Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy) and the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), under South Africas National Research Foundation (NRF). The deployment included a training workshop attended by faculty and postgraduate students from Copperbelt University and three other Zambian institutions: Mulungushi University, Kwame Nkrumah University, and Mukuba University. This collaborative approach highlights the projects emphasis on capacity building, skills transfer, and the strengthening of local scientific expertise. Zambias participation in the TART initiative reinforces its growing role in global radio astronomy and contributes to the broader Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, of which it is one of eight African partner countries. The successful setup in Kitwe reflects a deep commitment to fostering regional scientific development through education, infrastructure, and international cooperation. The project owes its success to the contributions of leading experts including Prof. Oleg Smirnov (RATT), Dr Tim Molteno, Benjamin Hugo, and a network of dedicated collaborators who turned a shared vision into a functioning scientific asset. TART Zambia not only enhances educational and research opportunities but also symbolises Africas advancing position in the global astronomy community, expanding access to cutting-edge scientific tools and opening new frontiers in space science through innovation and partnership.
