Experts are worried that the number of satellites that will increase due to Amazon’s rivalry with SpaceX with Project Kuiper will turn into space pollution
With the advancement of technology, our lives are getting easier. At the same time, it also brings along some negativities. Air pollution, environmental pollution, a brand new concept has entered our lives: Space pollution. Humanity has now moved to another dimension of polluting the Earth. Countless satellites orbit the blue planet. New ones will be added to this list. Amazon announced that it will rival Musk’s Starlink satellites. With Project Kuiper, Amazon’s 3200 satellites will orbit the Earth.
The International Astronomical Union organized a meeting to take measures against the negative consequences of space pollution!
Amazon has launched two satellite prototypes for its Project Kuiper network, which will eventually have more than 3,200 orbiters. With Project Kuiper, the company is preparing to rival SpaceX, which currently leads the industry with around 4,800 satellites. For this, it took its first step into space. This development was discussed in two new studies and panels at an international astronomy conference during space week. Astronomers and lovers of the night sky will pay the price for this rapid growth in the satellite industry.
Observers worried that Amazon could also rival Starlink. The International Astronomical Union organized a meeting to assess the space pollution that satellites could cause in orbit. The meeting brought together a large number of astronomers and representatives of the satellite industry, as well as indigenous environmental advocates and policy experts.
All spacecraft in low Earth orbit reflect sunlight. And some of them are bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. It’s as if these satellites compete with the stars in brightness. But this can cause some problems. Satellites can interfere with radio observations by drawing lines on the images. This could affect the reliability of the hard-earned data.
Researchers estimate that by the 2030s, about 100 thousand satellites will orbit our planet. Scientists see satellite systems as a potential danger in the future. But single orbiting satellites are not so innocent. Some individual satellites are really bright. According to a study, a prototype of AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird swarm has become one of the brightest objects in the heavens.
At the meeting, they discussed the fact that the orbit of so many bright satellites would adversely affect astronomy studies. Also, having so many satellites in orbit increases the risk of collisions. Unfortunately, this will negatively affect many telescopes, especially the Hubble Space Telescope. Experts will take measures to prevent the increasing number of satellites from turning into space pollution. They will also prevent this situation from harming astronomical studies with technology and software developed.
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