SpaceX has reached a deal with the US National Science Foundation to prevent Starlink from interfering with astronomy.
There is a new agreement with the U. S. The National Science Foundation is trying to prevent Starlink satellites from interfering with astronomy. Astronomers have been critical of the brightness of the Starlink satellites. The CEO of the company said that Starlink would not have an effect on discoveries in astronomy.
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Exactly, potentially helping billions of economically disadvantaged people is the greater good. That said, we’ll make sure Starlink has no material effect on discoveries in astronomy. We care a great deal about science.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 27, 2019
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He said that they care a lot about science. The organizations finalized a coordination agreement in 2019 to ensure Starlink satellite network meets international radio astronomy protection standards for the 10.6-10.7 GHz band. As the two continue to explore ways to protect ground-based astronomy, a new coordination agreement was signed in 2022.. As the two continue to explore ways to protect ground-based astronomy, a new coordination agreement was signed in 2022.
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Under the new agreement, the company promised to continue working on recommendations. The optical brightness of its satellites should be reduced to 7th visual magnitude or fainter by physical design changes. The company agreed to analyze the impact of lasers on its satellites. The coordination requirements for these lasers were removed by the Laser Clearinghouse.
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When Starlink satellites pass nearby, observatories won't have to turn off their laser guides. The goal of the workshop is to develop best practices guidance and recommend processes for interactions between satellite operators and the Laser Clearinghouse in order to mitigate negative impacts on observatories. The company committed to coordinating with radio astronomy facilities to prevent Starlink satellites from being beamed into the sky.
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The National Radio Astronomy Observatory completed several field tests with more planned to verify that radio astronomy observations will not be impacted. As a result of the high demand for satellite internet in historically underserved or unserved communities, the NRAO began a pilot program to test the impact of user terminals in close proximity to the VLA.
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Working with the National Science Foundation as interference and new challenges are brought up by the astronomy community is one of the commitments made by the company. We are setting the stage for a successful partnership between commercial and public endeavors that allows important science research to flourish alongside satellite communication. ”
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