Starlink Emissions Impact 30% of Space Images, Curtin Researchers Reveal

International News: Elon Musk’s satellite internet venture Starlink is drawing criticism from the global astronomy community, with new research warning that its expanding constellation of satellites is interfering with space observations. A research team from Curtin University examined more than 76 million astronomical images and discovered that signals from Starlink satellites had disrupted nearly 30% of the data.

Scientists warn that this kind of interference could skew research results, since much of modern astronomy relies on clean, interference-free images of the universe.

Starlink’s Scale and Radio Emissions

• NASA data shows that Starlink has so far launched 1,806 satellites into orbit.
• These satellites produce around 112,000 radio emissions.
• Many of these emissions are accidental, not deliberate.
• Researchers noted that 703 satellites were transmitting at 150.8 MHz—a protected frequency used for radio astronomy.

Unintended Signals Pose the Biggest Problem

Researcher Dylan Grigg, part of the study team, explained, “The unintentional signals are likely coming from the electronics on board the satellites. The real issue is that these signals are neither easy to predict nor simple to filter out.”

No Current Rule-Breaking by Starlink

Despite these findings, Starlink is not technically violating any international laws. Steven Tingay, Executive Director of the Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy, clarified: The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) only regulates intentional transmissions. At present, there are no strict global rules addressing unintentional emissions from satellites.

What Needs to Happen Next?

• Astronomers believe this research should serve as a wake-up call.
• They are urging the ITU to revise and strengthen its regulations.
• New guidelines would help protect radio astronomy and ensure that similar satellite projects don’t disrupt critical scientific work.

Balancing Internet Access and Space Science

Starlink was designed to provide high-speed internet to remote parts of the world—a mission widely praised for bridging digital divides. But its rapidly growing network has unintentionally created a new challenge: its radio emissions are interfering with the ability to observe the universe.

This situation underscores the urgent need for updated international standards to ensure that technological progress and scientific discovery can advance side by side—without one undermining the other.