--- title: "SpaceX Satellites Disrupting Ability to Spot Killer Asteroids, Scientists Say" description: "Astronomers are warning that SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites could interfere with their ability to spot asteroids careening past Earth." date: "2022-01-21" modified: "2022-01-21" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/spacex-satellites-asteroids-scientists" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "asteroids" - "SpaceX" - "starlink" --- # SpaceX Satellites Disrupting Ability to Spot Killer Asteroids, Scientists Say ![Astronomers are warning that SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites could interfere with their ability to spot asteroids careening past Earth.]() *\Image: NSF/CTIO/AURA/DELVE\* It's no secret that growing satellite constellations have been [wreaking havoc]() on astronomical observations over the last couple of years. Now, astronomers are warning that SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites could interfere with their ability to spot asteroids careening toward Earth — a troubling development, as SpaceX is planning to launch thousands if not [tens of thousands]() more satellites in the coming years. In a [new study]() published in *The Astrophysical Journal Letters,* astronomers spotted "5,301 satellite streaks that can be attributed to Starlink satellites" in observations made by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), an extremely wide-field camera that scans the entire northern sky every two days. The large majority of the streaks appeared in observations taken at dawn or dust, a crucial period for "spotting potentially dangerous asteroids coming from the direction of the Sun," [according to ]()*[Space.com]().* But the risks are fortunately slim — at least for now. "There is a small chance that we would miss an asteroid or another event hidden behind a satellite streak, but compared to the impact of weather, such as a cloudy sky, these are rather small effects for ZTF," Tom Prince, co-author of the paper and a physics professor at Caltech, said in [a statement](). To date, SpaceX has launched [just shy of 1,500 satellites](), with 272 on their way to their operational orbits. The space company has taken the astronomy community's concerns seriously since launching their first batch back in February 2018. In early 2020, SpaceX started [testing Sun visors]() to stop sunlight from being reflected back onto the ground. According to the study's findings, the visors did have an effect, reducing the satellites' brightness to roughly a fifth as compared to the original design. While it's certainly a step in the right direction, Starlink satellites are [still far too bright]() — and could mess with other crucial observations. **READ MORE:** [SpaceX's Starlink satellites leave streaks in asteroid-hunting telescope's images]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on Starlink:** *[Elon Musk Offers Starlink Internet at Volcano Disaster Site, Then Hesitates]()* ## 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]()