This fall, 120 space researchers are urging the FCC to study satellite mega-constellations, including SpaceX's Starlink. In Colorado, scientists and night sky photographers are advocating for more responsible satellite use.
According to the Colorado Public Interest Research Foundation, the number of large satellites in low Earth orbit has increased twelvefold in just the last five years, with thousands more expected in the coming years.
A Buena Vista couple, Joe and Kimmie Randall, express mixed feelings about satellites. As professional photographers, they are frustrated when satellites disrupt their images. Kimmie Randall stated, “So you'll have a beautiful shot of stars, and then you have a great straight line that cuts right through the stars that show the satellites.” Joe Randall added, “Some of the photos have 20, 30 satellites in each shot, so that's almost not worth editing.”
Despite their frustrations, the Randalls also recognize the benefits of satellites. They work in IT, installing SpaceX's Starlink for residents in mountainous areas of Colorado. “Because we are up in the mountains, most of the people that are getting Starlink have never had internet,” Kimmie Randall explained. Joe Randall noted, “It is driving the industry and, with that, there's a responsibility.”
Scientists like Thomas Berger, executive director of the Space Weather Technology Research and Education Center at the University of Colorado Boulder, are advocating for responsible satellite management. “There's great benefits, both to communications and to global environmental monitoring from things in orbit,” he said. However, he warned that the increasing number of satellites poses risks, especially without measures for collision avoidance.
Berger highlighted the unprecedented increase in satellite missions, noting that this year marks an 11-year peak in solar activity. “We have this extremely large increase in the number of missions,” he stated, emphasizing the need for scientists to pay attention to potential consequences.
He is now pushing for research on how the growing number of satellites will interact with solar activity, warning that major collisions could have significant impacts on Earth. “A lot of the intelligent satellites are in low Earth orbit, so there's a lot of capability that would be suddenly gone,” he said.
As scientists like Berger continue to study these risks, photographers like the Randalls anticipate more editing and internet installations. Kimmie Randall concluded, “Being able to look up to the stars in space and inspiration to younger generations, what do they have to look forward to, what legacy are we leaving?”