As Amazon joins SpaceX and OneWeb in launching satellite constellations, astronomers worry about the effects on astronomical observations and image quality
The F.C.C. approved the company's 3,236-satellite constellation, which aims to provide high-speed internet service around the world. Tweets: @fyiscipolicy , @nytscience , @nytscience , @mamabearkingdom , @omanreagan , @ethanbearman , @nytimes , and @erichhoyt Tweets: @fyiscipolicy : “To me, honestly, it feels like putting a bunch of planes up and then not having air traffic control,” says @astrokiwi, on the current lack of regulations to mitigate the impact of satellite megaconstellations on astronomy: https://www.nytimes.com/... @nytscience : Amazon got F.C.C. approval to get into the high-speed internet satellite business with Project Kuiper. Astronomers are concerned that decisions made today will affect the night sky for decades. https://www.nytimes.com/... @nytscience : “It feels like putting a bunch of planes up and then not having air traffic control,” one astronomer warned. https://www.nytimes.com/... Summertime Bear Mom / @mamabearkingdom : As if Starlink wasn't bad enough, now TWO billionares are going to charge third world countries absurd amounts of money for basic internet access, at the expense of everything else. https://twitter.com/... Michael / @omanreagan : The night sky is a fundamental human right, and has been for tens of thousands of years. Light pollution and now these satellites threaten Earth's skyscape and diverse cultures of the sky, threaten science as well, and all just so the billionaires can get richer. https://twitter.com/... @ethanbearman : Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should do it. #spacejunk #spaceclutter https://twitter.com/... @nytimes : Amazon's 3,236-satellite constellation, which aims to provide high-speed internet service around the world, has been approved by the F.C.C. The rapid influx of satellites into low-Earth orbit has been met with pushback from astronomers. https://www.nytimes.com/... Erich Hoyt / @erichhoyt : When you gaze into night sky in yrs to come, just think: 3,236 of those ‘stars’ are Amazon's. That's 2x + current no. of satellites. Sold as promoting internet connectivity. Facebook, google next? How can real stars compete? https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...