Astronomers demanded that SpaceX be banned from launching Starlink satellites under the pretext of protecting the environment

A group of 120 astronomers and experts said it is necessary to suspend launches of SpaceX’s new Starlink telecommunications satellites until the environmental impact of large satellite constellations is fully studied. To this end, they sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which is one of the industry regulators.

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«We can provide affordable internet for everyone without surrounding the globe with tens or hundreds of thousands of disposable satellites that can harm the environment,” the astronomers said in their letter.

The largest satellite constellation belongs to Elon Musk’s SpaceX company and now includes more than 6,000 devices. This is approximately 60% of the total number of active satellites in Earth orbit. In total, SpaceX plans to expand the number of satellites in orbit to almost 30 thousand.

After the end of their operational period, Starlink satellites will be deorbited and burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere. This could be a serious problem, astronomers say, because the environmental impact of tens of thousands of burning spacecraft has not been fully assessed. The authors of one past study concluded that this could harm the Earth’s ozone layer.

«We know that an increase in the number of satellites and launches leads to an increase in the amount of harmful gases and metals in the atmosphere. We should not rush to launch satellites on such a scale without ensuring that the benefits justify the potential consequences of launching these megaconstellations,” the astronomers said in the letter.

The astronomers’ letter was published by the non-profit organization Public Interest Research Group, which protects consumer rights. “At peak deployment of these disposable satellites, 29 tons of metal will be returned to the atmosphere every day. “It’s almost like a car falling from space into the atmosphere every hour, which can be dangerous for both people and the environment,” the Public Interest added. It is also noted that this statement is only true if SpaceX puts more than 40 thousand satellites into orbit.

Astronomers have called on the regulator to conduct an environmental assessment to determine how harmful the impact of large satellite constellations on the atmosphere may be. “Regulators also need to decide whether we really need multiple disposable constellations competing for the same limited space,” the astronomers said. In addition, they criticized the FCC’s current approach to issuing licenses for the creation of orbital satellite constellations, since the agency allegedly bypasses environmental reviews.