SpaceX 'Starlink' now a concern for astronomers.

(David Pelham's 1974 popart cover for JG Ballards.  "The Forth Dimensional Nightmare. Image courtesy Pengium Books)

Starlink and the other competing space freight companies who are now caught up in a space race of establishing an off world internet frenzy are now delving into a greed  fueled overdrive, chasing the micro-satellite markets under the offering and selling point, that this will be internet for 'everyone' jargon.  Which actually means, faster internet speeds for people already connected to current rival Earth networks. It is far from the communal, 'we are one world' con.  But, with the successful launch of Starlink's 60 satellites that are already operating in a low Earth orbit, which can be viewed streaking across the Southern night sky – and from all reports they are bright. The company is on course, under SpaceX's control, to initiate a further 12000 of these small craft into a so-called satellite constellation. This will and already has clouded space telescopes, studying astrophysical objects, adding issues from delayed exposure of their observations and distracting the views of tracking Near Earth Objects (asteroids) as these pieces of junk fly past their telescope ranges.

From https://techthelead.com

"...the International Astronomical Union (IAU) spearheading the talks. Eventually, the Union released a statement on Monday stating that satellite constellations of the likes of Starlink could actually negatively impact our ability to understand the universe and that a radio-quiet sky is also necessary for protecting nocturnal wildlife.  “We do not yet understand the impact of thousands of these visible satellites scattered across the night sky and despite their good intentions, these satellite constellations may threaten both.” The statement said. One of the biggest issues is just how reflective the satellites are: the reflections from the Sun make them appear as moving dots in the sky hours after sunset and before sunrise and their brightness comes in the way of astronomical research and observation."

The SpaceX CEO waffles a statement via the obsessive Twitter reloop, claiming that the interfeance will be minimal, relaying that space telescopes should be orbital rather than ground.  Known for blowing budgets, as opposed to ground telescopes which sre cheaper and easily to repair.  Yet, in light of exploring the cosmos there should be no manned mission to Mars.  Rather a telescope built on the Moon would be ideal.