SpaceX’s plan to send up 30,000 satellites for Starlink is facing resistance from NASA over concerns the orbital network will impact the space agency’s missions.
NASA’s worries focus on SpaceX’s second-generation Starlink network, which the company needs to secure FCC clearance before it can launch the satellites. On Tuesday, the space agency submitted a 7-page filing to the FCC outlining the risks of the 30,000 satellite network causing congestion across Earth’s orbit.
“NASA wants to ensure that the deployment of the Starlink Gen 2 system is conducted prudently, in a manner that supports spaceflight safety and the long-term sustainability of the space environment,” the agency wrote. CNBC was first to report the news.
One of NASA’s key concerns about the 30,000 satellites is the risk they’ll collide into other objects in space. To avoid this, SpaceX has designed the satellites with an autonomous anti-collision system, which can maneuver them out of the way. However, NASA is doubtful about the company’s claim that there’s “zero risk” the satellites will ever cause an orbital collision, especially since other large satellite constellations are being planned.
“With the potential for multiple constellations with thousands and tens of thousands of spacecraft, it is not recommended to assume propulsion systems, ground detection systems, and software are 100% reliable, or that manual operations (if any) are 100% error-free,” NASA told the FCC.
Another concern involves Starlink satellites reflecting too much sunlight, which NASA says could disrupt space telescopes from observing Earth’s climate and block ground-based telescopes from detecting near-Earth asteroids.
“With the addition of ~30,000 Starlink satellites as described in the Gen2 amendment request, NASA estimates that there would be a Starlink in every single asteroid survey image taken for planetary defense against hazardous asteroid impacts, decreasing asteroid survey effectiveness by rendering portions of images unusable,” the agency added. The astronomical community has expressed the same concern.
In addition, NASA is worried the second-gen network will make it harder to send up spacecraft to the International Space Station since about 20,000 of the Starlink satellites will be orbiting under it.
However, the space agency isn’t against SpaceX’s second-gen Starlink network. Rather, NASA is calling on SpaceX to submit more evidence proving the satellite mega-constellation won’t one day disrupt the space agency’s activities. For example, NASA is recommending SpaceX publish an analysis that demonstrates the auto-maneuver capability of the Starlink satellites is “sufficiently scalable to the entire proposed constellation size.” The agency is also requesting SpaceX supply more technical details on the second-gen Starlink satellites.
“This will inform a thorough analysis of risks and impacts to NASA’s missions and enable a mitigation strategy,” it added.
NASA also notes it’s submitted similar comments to the FCC about other large satellite constellations. “With the increase in large constellation proposals to the FCC, NASA has concerns with the potential for a significant increase in the frequency of conjunction events and possible impacts to NASA’s science and human spaceflight missions,” the agency added.
The filing arrived on the same day several rival companies to SpaceX’s Starlink also lodged concerns about the second-gen network’s size. However, SpaceX is hoping the FCC will quickly approve its proposal for the 30,000 satellite constellation with the goal of launching the first satellites as soon as next month.
