Elon Musk’s satellites litter the heavens as astonishing video shows how 5,000 Starlink aircraft are whizzing around the Earth and ‘will soon outnumber the stars’
Elon Musk’s satellites are scattered across the sky as astonishing video shows 5,000 Starlink planes orbiting Earth and ‘soon to outnumber the stars’
- Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites are on track to surpass the number of stars in the sky, about 9,000
- A fascinating video showed the staggering number floating in space
- Scientists fear for the future of astronomy as Musk’s space junk litters our skies
Elon Musk’s satellites litter the sky and an astonishing video has revealed 5,000 of his Starlink planes zooming around the Earth.
Stunning images of tiny orange dots, representing satellites, zooming around the Earth show the extent of his investment in the technology. The fascinating video was uploaded on September 18 by X user @flightclubio.
But while the device has been praised for providing internet access in war-torn Ukraine, astronomers fear the devices will soon obscure our view of the sky – with around 9,000 stars visible from our planet.
New research has shown that low-frequency radio waves – like those produced by Musk’s machines – are leaking into the air, making it difficult for scientists to make astronomical observations.
Scientists are also concerned that Musk’s ‘space junk’ could cause an extreme collision. The ‘Kessler syndrome’ – proposed by NASA scientist Donald Kessler in 1978 – said that if there is too much space junk in Earth’s orbit, the objects could collide and form MORE space junk. This would cause the Earth’s orbit to become unstable.
Scientists worry about the potentially harmful effects of Musk’s ‘space junk’ and what it could do to Earth’s orbit
More than 5,000 Starlink satellites have been deployed by SpaceX CEO and billionaire Elon Musk – just 4,000 fewer than the number of visible stars in the sky
Research has found that low-frequency radio waves leak into the air, making it difficult for scientists to make astronomical observations
SpaceX launched Starlink satellites in May 2019 and has already sent more than 5,000 of the mass-produced objects into space.
The company announced that it had reached more than 2 million subscribers by September 2023 and plans to deploy 12,000 satellites – a target that could be increased to 42,000.
The SpaceX Starlink is a low-orbit satellite that provides the internet with unlimited data and high broadband speeds.
The satellites provide users with fixed or portable internet options at a high price.
Internet provider T-mobile offers broadband for $50 per month with no installation fees – while Starlink charges up to $2,500 for installation and can cost users up to $250 per month.
Viewers expressed their fears in the comments on the astonishing video uploaded to Musk’s social media website X (formerly known as Twitter).
One user said: ‘The size and scale of the Starlink project is worrying astronomers, who fear the bright, orbiting objects will disrupt observations of the universe, as well as space safety experts who use Starlink now seen as the main source of collision hazard. in Earth’s orbit.’
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute used a telescope in the Netherlands to observe 68 Starlink devices, finding that 47 were emitting “unintended electromagnetic radiation” coming from the onboard electronics.
The team feared that the amount of emissions would be so large that they would be mistaken for radio waves from celestial bodies.
Musk was accused of interfering in the war between Ukraine and Russia by refusing to turn on the satellite system because he “wanted to avoid being complicit in a major act of war.”
The original plan was to deploy 12,000 Starlink satellites, but Musk filed paperwork in 2019 to increase that number to 42,000
SpaceX’s CEO filed paperwork with the International Telecommunications Union in October 2019 to operate an additional 30,000 small devices.
In its documents, SpaceX said the additional 30,000 satellites would operate in low Earth orbit at altitudes ranging from 1,076 feet to 1,922 feet.
Musk is said to have used his satellites to interfere in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The billionaire CEO of Tesla,
Musk said that while he had not ordered engineers to turn off the satellite system, he had rejected Kiev’s request to turn it on because, he said, he “wanted to avoid being complicit in a major act of war.”