Elon Musk satellites dey 'block' d view of di universe

Radio waves from Elon Musk growing network of satellites dey block scientists ability to look into di universe, according to researchers for di Netherlands.

Di new generation of Starlink satellites, wey dey provide fast internet around di world, dey interfer more wit radio telescopes pass earlier versions, dem tok.

Di thousands of orbiting satellites dey “blind” radio telescopes and dem fit disturb astronomical research, according to Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON).

SpaceX, wey be di owner of Starlink, neva respond to one request from BBC News for comment.

Di satellites dey provide broadband internet around di world, especially for remote places, wey include some kontris for Africa and challenging environments like Ukraine and Yemen.

Dem also dey use am to connect remote areas of di UK to fast internet.

For 2022, tests bin show say Starlink fit deliver internet speeds four times faster dan di average internet, according to di Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

But astronomers say dis dey come at a cost.

"Evri time dem launch more of these satellites wey carry these kain emission levels, we dey see less and less of di sky," Professor Jessica Dempsey, director of ASTRON, tell BBC News.

"We dey try to look tins like di jets, wey dey comot from black holes from di centre of galaxies. We also dey look some of di earliest galaxies, millions and millions of light years away, plus exoplanets," she tok as she dey mention di areas di satellite radiation dey affect.

ASTRON discover say Interference from di second generation, or V2, satellites dey 32 times stronger pass di first generation.

Di amount of radiation wey di satellite dey release pass di regulations wey di industry body, di International Telecommunications Union set, Prof Dempsey add.

One estimate suggest say 6,402 Starlink satellites currently dey for orbit at around 342 miles (550km) above Earth, wey make am di largest provider by far.

Di satellites dey relatively large - wit 3m flat panels and one 8m solar array for power.

SpaceXmain competitor, OneWeb, get less dan 1,000. But na one growing business area. Amazon dey develop dia own network and dem hope to launch at least 3,000 in di next few years.

By 2030, di number of satellites for orbit dey expected to surpass 100,000.

Scientists carry out di study wit di use of LOFAR radio telescope for di Netherlands for one single day for July earlier dis year.

Many objects for space, including distant galaxies and planets, dey release light on di electromagnetic spectrum.

Dis radiation dey travel like waves and radio telescopes fit pick up on those waves, and allow us to get foto of things we no fit see wit our eyes.

But satellites dey disturb those waves.

Di scientists see unintended electromagnetic radiation from almost all di V2 Starlink satellites dem observe.

E dey about 10 million times brighter dan from di weakest sources of light identified, dem tok.

Lead author Cees Bassa tok say e be like to dey compare di “faintest stars visible to di naked eye and di brightness of di full Moon.”

“Since SpaceX dey launch about 40 second-generation Starlink satellites every week, dis problem dey become increasingly worse," e add.

Robert Massey, Deputy Executive Director of di Royal Astronomical Society for UK, say: "e dey very clear say if you get something wey dey dis bright and dey affect a major radio observatory dis much, then we gatz do something and we gatz do am quickly."

Wen dem ask am about di value of di astronomy research, e say: "e dey wrong to say e get some science wey pipo fit you just dismiss. Di applications fit no be now but in decades or even longer for di future, but dem fit dey very fundamental and very important."

Scientists also dey worry about light pollution from di satellites, and fear say e dey also interfer wit optical telescopes.

Astronomers say dem bin follow SpaceX tok about radiation from di first generation of satellites and di company bin listen to their concerns.

But ASTRON say now, dem see say di V2 even dey more powerful.

"Turning LOFAR back up and seeing these booming signals from these new generation of V2 Mini SpaceX satellites dey a bit shocking," Prof Dempsey tok.

"Dis actually dey threaten di entirety of ground based astronomy for every wavelength and for different ways. If e continue, without any measure to make these satellites quiet, then e gi become existential threat for di kinds of astronomy we do," Prof Dempsey add.

Di researchers stress say more regulation of space and how satellites dey operate dey needed, so dat dia scientific work no go dey compromised.

Dem tok say as the largest provider of satellites, SpaceX fit standard for reducing pollution.

Prof Dempsey tok say simple actions like shielding the battery on di satellite fit make a big difference and reduce di radiation wey e dey release.

Some interference dey come from faulty electronics, so dis fit prevent am from happening.

But without action, “very soon di only constellations we go dey see na man-made own,” she add.

Drm publish di findings for di scientific journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.