THE large constellations made up of satellites At the time, they represented a great technological promise. They represented global access to the Internet, greater connectivity and a new era of services. However, this promise has become a problem for the scientific community. The massive deployment of satellites is increasingly more difficult to observe the universe without interference.
The threats to science are easy to explain: satellites cross the field of view of telescopes, They reflect sunlight and generate light lines. which ruin the images with which astronomers study everything that exists beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. According to the latest projections, over the next decade 96% of space images will be contaminated.
Effects on scientific research
The problem is twofold. On the one hand, there is light pollution produced by operating satellites, which increases as launches increase. On the other hand, there is space debris, rocket fragments, collision debris and disabled devices that They remain in orbit around the Earth. A recent study published in Nature warns that if measures are not taken to minimize these effects, astronomical research will be seriously compromised.
The growth has been dizzying. As of 2019, there are approximately 2,000 satellites orbiting our planet. Today, a few years later, The figure is approaching 15,000. The European Space Agency estimates that, if the current rate continues, by 2030 there could be more than 100,000 satellites spread across different orbital layers.
This increase implies that telescopes as iconic as Hubble could have their field of observation affected in almost 40% of his images. And the situation will be even worse for space telescopes that operate at altitudes between 400 and 800 kilometers, a range in which visual pollution It could reach almost 100%.
A political and economic problem
For some researchers, the picture is even more worrying than the numbers reflect. “This study is even optimistic,” he says. Alejandro Sanchez de Miguel, from the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia-CSIC in statements to the Scientific Media Center. According to him, not all current projects have been taken into account: “It is very difficult to be aware of all the commercial initiatives that appear.”
According to him, what is happening is “an uncontrollable geoengineering experiment” in which the impact on astronomy is only the visible part of a deeper problem. Other aggravating factors also come into play in this context, such as The context is political and economic. The deployment of megaconstellations responds to particular interests and competition between companies and States, which blocks international agreements capable of regulating space.
The criticism doesn’t just come from Spain. Jorge Hernández Bernal, a researcher in France, believes that current proposals do not address the root of the problem. For him, it is not only science that is at stake, but the cultural heritage of the night sky and the peaceful use of space. In addition, he warns of the risk of Possible Kessler syndrome: a chain reaction of collisions that could saturate Earth’s orbit with uncontrollable fragments.
In this context, solutions must be found. One of the proposals made by scientists ands launch satellites into lower orbits than those used by telescopes. This could avoid some of the visual pollution, although it also poses new risks, increased launches and disintegration of waste in the atmosphere This has consequences for the ozone layer and the climate.
However, the warning is clear: if terrestrial and space telescopes are contaminated, the only alternative will be to send future observatories higher, which will increase costs.
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