Thousands of avoidance maneuvers are being carried out by Starlink satellites as the low Earth orbit becomes increasingly congested, raising concerns about the possibility of a catastrophic collision. SpaceX, the company behind Starlink, revealed in a recent filing to the Federal Communications Commission that its orbital communication satellites executed maneuvers over 25,000 times between December 1, 2022, and May 21, 2023.
Strict Maneuvering Thresholds and Rising Number of Moves
SpaceX explained that it employs a maneuvering threshold that is “an order of magnitude” more stringent than the industry standard. The satellites actively move when the probability of a collision exceeds 1 in 100,000, whereas NASA and other industry firms typically set a threshold of 1 in 10,000. Despite this cautious approach, the number of avoidance maneuvers has doubled compared to the previous reporting period. SpaceX added 457 satellites to its Starlink constellation during the most recent period.
Debris from Anti-Satellite Weapon Test and Growing Concerns
Out of the 25,000 maneuvers, we actively carried out over 1,300 maneuvers to avoid debris from Russia’s anti-satellite weapon demonstration test in November 2021. Although only 9% of the debris from that test remains in orbit, it posed the greatest overall risk to Starlink satellites, according to the filing. Starlink satellites are increasingly maneuvering, not only reflecting the expansion of the Starlink constellation but also highlighting a broader issue of multiple megaconstellations crowding the low Earth orbit.
Unintended Electromagnetic Radiation and Impact on Astronomy
A recent study published in the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal highlighted another concern related to Starlink satellites. The study found that the satellites emitted “unintended electromagnetic radiation” that could potentially disrupt astronomical research. The researchers detected this radiation using a sensitive Low Frequency Array telescope. They conducted simulations that demonstrated a compounding effect from the radiation, particularly as the size of satellite constellations increased. The study’s authors expressed concern about the absence of clear regulations to protect radio astronomy bands from unintended radiation. However, the study also noted that SpaceX has already made changes to mitigate the impact of these emissions in the next generation of Starlink satellites in collaboration with the International Astronomical Union Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky.
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