Starlink is a satellite constellation being constructed by American company SpaceX to provide satellite Internet access. The constellation will consist of thousands of mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit working in combination with ground transceivers. SpaceX also plans to sell some of the satellites for military scientific or exploratory purposes.
High-speed internet shouldn’t be a reason for compromising the Earth’s safety. Elon Musk’s project to launch 42,000 Starlink satellites soon is an extreme undermining for astronomers watching the sky to keep us safe from an asteroid collision.
It is hard enough with a clear sky to do it. Errors can occur, as it did in the infamous 15 February 2013, when the scientists were surveilling asteroid Duende that only entered the atmosphere but didn’t collide, while Chelyabinsk super-bolide meteor impacted Earth in the Ural region.
Asteroid hunting affected by SpaceX Starlink
Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, claims it is already difficult with the 300 satellites previously deported. The satellites block the view and pollute it with light.
Observational photos show severe impairment of the surveillance due to the rays the satellites reflect. “While a constellation of 300 is a pain in the neck, we can handle it – 12,000 is going to make it very difficult, especially for these asteroids,” said the astronomer.
But Elon musk lives in a parallel world where an asteroid can’t touch him. Or, if it dares to do it, it won’t hurt him, because he has superpowers. Or, he is just a human with a God complex. Whatever the case, he doesn’t seem to care much about these claims or the legal action they intend to take.
He has more significant issues, like changing the alloy SpaceX makes its rockets from. Rockets that will soon take thousands of people on trips to Mars, and that SpaceX factory will produce one every 72 hours.