120 top astronomy researchers call on FCC to study satellite mega-constellations, SpaceX’s Starlink

The number of large satellites in low Earth orbit has increased 12 times in five years, in large part because of SpaceX. The new space race is ramping up quickly: Some experts estimate an additional 58,000 satellites will be launched by 2030. In response, 120 astronomy, astrophysics and space experts from top universities sent a letter Thursday to the Federal Communications Commission asking the agency to study the effects of satellite mega-constellations on space, the atmosphere and environment. 

120 top astronomy researchers call on FCC to study satellite mega-constellations, SpaceX’s Starlink. Click for full letter.Photo by Staff | TPIN

Experts from top universities are warning we’re in a short window of time when we can prevent making a mess of space and our atmosphere rather than spend decades cleaning it up. The new space race doesn’t need to create massive space waste.

In our recent report, WasteX: Environmental harms of satellite internet mega-constellations, U.S. PIRG Education Fund found that at peak deployment of these disposable satellites, 29 tons of metal will re-enter our atmosphere per day. That’s almost like a car falling from space into our atmosphere every hour, which could be dangerous to both people and the environment. Yet, the FCC has categorically excluded satellite licenses from environmental reviews since 1986.

Researchers from Princeton University; the University of California, Berkeley; and the University of Arizona, among other universities, signed the letter to FCC Space Bureau Chief Julie Kearney. It reads, in part, “We shouldn’t rush forward with launching satellites at this scale without making sure the benefits justify the potential consequences of these new mega-constellations being launched, and then re-entering our atmosphere to burn up and or create debris. This is a new frontier, and we should save ourselves a lot of trouble by making sure we move forward in a way that doesn’t cause major problems for our future.”

In 2023, 70% of all satellite launches were for Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX. Starlink has applied to the FCC for more than 30,000 satellite licenses. The letter calls on the FCC to follow the recommendations of the U.S. Government Accountability Office and stop excluding satellites from environmental reviews.

Excluding 50,000 or more satellites from environmental impact studies based on a decision from the 1980s flies in the face of reason. The potentially long-term environmental harms of deploying tens of thousands of satellites are still unclear.