--- title: "Amazon’s Constellation of 3,236 Satellites Has Astronomers Very, Very Freaked Out" description: "Amazon was given permission by the FCC to launch 3,326 satellites into the Kuiper constellation. Find out why scientists are so concerned." date: "2020-08-10" modified: "2020-08-19" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/amazon-satellite-constellation-astronomers-freaked-out" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "Amazon" - "constellations" - "satellites" - "SpaceX" - "starlink" --- # Amazon’s Constellation of 3,236 Satellites Has Astronomers Very, Very Freaked Out ![Amazon was approved by the Federal Communications Commission to launch 3,326 satellites as part of its Kuiper constellation. That has astronomers worried.]() *\Image: NSF’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory/CTIO/AURA/DELVE\* Amazon was approved by the Federal Communications Commission to launch 3,326 satellites as part of its planned Kuiper constellation. That's roughly 600 more satellites than the total number currently in orbit, as [*The New York Times* reports](). But who's counting? Astronomers are. And they're worried. The news comes just a week after SpaceX [launched]() its latest batch of 57 [Starlink]() satellites, bringing the total number up to just shy of 600 already in orbit. The reflective micro satellites have been [photobombing]() astronomical observations of the night sky ever since they started being launched by SpaceX, appearing as bright streaks of light. "We don’t yet have any kind of industrywide guidelines," Michele Bannister, planetary astronomer at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, told the *Times*. "We don’t have an industry body that’s producing good corporate citizenship on the part of all of these enthusiastic companies that want to launch, and we don’t have any regulatory setup in place that’s providing clear guidelines back to the industry," Bannister added. "To me, honestly, it feels like putting a bunch of planes up and then not having air traffic control." Problems are likely to persist as companies like SpaceX and Amazon continue to litter the night sky with thousands, if not [tens of thousands](), of their satellites. While SpaceX has tried [non-reflective coating and a sunshade]() to stop reflecting light, a fully effective solution has yet to be demonstrated. An Amazon spokesperson also told the Times that "reflectivity is a key consideration in our design and development process." Astronomers, however, are calling for national regulators to step up to the plate and make sure ground-based astronomy can survive this new trend. Whether or not they will — much like a potential clear night sky in the future — remains to be seen. **READ MORE:** [Amazon Satellites Add to Astronomers’ Worries About the Night Sky]() \[*The New York Times*\] **More on Starlink:** *[SpaceX’s Starlink Satellites Ruined This Photo of the NEOWISE Comet]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()