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A group of 120 astronomers and space experts is calling for a pause on new Starlink launches from SpaceX until the US can fully investigate the environmental effects of large satellite constellations.
“We can have affordable internet for everyone without surrounding our globe with tens or hundreds of thousands of disposable satellites that could harm our environment,” the group says.
In a letter to the FCC, the astronomers voiced concern about the rise of "mega constellations" from companies racing to develop low-Earth orbiting satellite communication systems.
SpaceX has been at the forefront, operating over 6,000 Starlink satellites, or what amounts to about 60% of all active spacecraft around Earth. In addition, the company is making a new push to increase the Starlink constellation to nearly 30,000 satellites in an effort to improve the system’s internet speeds and latency.
When they reach end of life, Starlink satellites are designed to burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. That’s a problem, according to the astronomers, since the environmental impact of launching and disposing of tens of thousands of satellites is unclear, although an initial study suspects doing so might disrupt the Earth’s ozone layer.
“What we do know is that more satellites and more launches lead to more damaging gasses and metals in our atmosphere,” the letter says. “We shouldn’t rush forward with launching satellites at this scale without making sure the benefits justify the potential consequences of these new mega-constellations being launched.”
The consumer advocacy nonprofit Public Interest Research Group publicized the astronomers' letter on Thursday and added: “At peak deployment of these disposable satellites, 29 tons of metal will re-enter our atmosphere per day. That’s almost like a car falling from space into our atmosphere every hour, which could be dangerous to both people and the environment.” But that's only if SpaceX receives FCC clearance to launch over 40,000 low-Earth orbiting satellites.
The letter asks the FCC to follow a 2022 recommendation from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) that also urged the FCC to conduct a federal environmental review of large satellite constellations. “Regulators should also ask if we really need multiple disposable constellations competing for the same limited space,” the astronomers write.
The letter also calls out the FCC’s current approach of allegedly sidestepping environmental reviews for satellite approvals. “Excluding all 24 applications for mega-constellations is absurd given the unprecedented pace at which the FCC is granting licenses,” the astronomers said, later adding: “That launching 30,000 to 500,000 satellites into low earth orbit doesn’t even warrant an environmental review offends common sense.”
The FCC didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. In 2022, the commission told the GAO it would review whether large satellite constellations should face environmental scrutiny—but not until the White House Council on Environmental Quality finished revising its own regulations. That appears to have been completed in April.
SpaceX has previously argued that requiring environmental reviews of Starlink risks undermining US competitiveness and innovation in the space industry.
"As a part of these efforts, SpaceX has collaborated extensively with the astronomy community and has designed its satellites to minimize the impact on the Earth environment," the company told the FCC in 2022.