Speaker 1: Welcome to Bedtime Astronomy. Explore the wonders of the cosmos
Speaker 1: with our soothing Bedtime Astronomy podcast. Each episode offers a
Speaker 1: gentle journey through the stars, planets, and beyond, perfect for
Speaker 1: unwinding after a long day. Let's travel through the mysteries
Speaker 1: of the universe as you drift off into a peaceful
Speaker 1: slumber under the night sky. China's Thousand Sails joins the
Speaker 1: satellite mega constellation boom. China's Thousand Sales join Starlink as
Speaker 1: the latest mega satellite constellation in orbit, marking a significant
Speaker 1: step in the rapidly growing field of low Earth orbit
Speaker 1: LEO satellite constellations. With the ever increasing number of satellites
Speaker 1: crowding LEEO, it has become a familiar sight to see
Speaker 1: strings of satellites streaking across the night sky, particularly from
Speaker 1: SpaceX's Starlink constellation. These mega constellations, designed to provide global
Speaker 1: Internet coverage and communication capabilities, are transforming the way we connect,
Speaker 1: but they also present challenges, particularly for astronomers and skywatchers.
Speaker 1: In recent years, the advent of these satellite trains, most
Speaker 1: notably from Starlink, has not only spark discussions about the
Speaker 1: impact on ground based astronomy, but has also contributed to
Speaker 1: the rise of UFO reports as the unusual site of
Speaker 1: rows of satellites prompts curiosity and confusion. With more agencies
Speaker 1: and companies launching their own constellations, the skies are becoming
Speaker 1: increasingly filled with artificial satellites. This trend is expected to
Speaker 1: accelerate in twenty twenty four and beyond, with more satellite
Speaker 1: launches planned. One of the significant concerns raised by the
Speaker 1: astronomical community is the interference these satellites create for deep
Speaker 1: sky observations. The bright streaks they leave in images can
Speaker 1: ruin long exposure shots of distant celestial objects, and this
Speaker 1: issue is particularly concerning for upcoming large scale sky surveys
Speaker 1: such as the Verirubin Observatory, which is scheduled to see
Speaker 1: its first light in twenty twenty five. This observatory will
Speaker 1: conduct extensive sky surveys that could be compromised by the
Speaker 1: presence of numerous satellites in lo SpaceX has taken steps
Speaker 1: to address these concerns by implementing several mitigation measures for
Speaker 1: its Starlink satellites. These measures include adding sun visors to
Speaker 1: the first generation of satellites using diffuse dielectric mirrors on
Speaker 1: the newer V two platforms and adjusting the angle of
Speaker 1: the solar arrays to reduce their brightness. These modifications have
Speaker 1: shown some success in reducing the visibility of the satellites
Speaker 1: from the ground, with spotters noting that the newer V
Speaker 1: two satellites have a fainter, bluish tint and are less
Speaker 1: visible once they reach their designated orbits, with an average
Speaker 1: magnitude of around plus seven, which aligns with the threshold
Speaker 1: set by the National Science Foundation NSF and the International
Speaker 1: Astronomical Union IAU. However, the proliferation of satellite constellations has
Speaker 1: also introduced challenges in the radio frequency spectrum. Radio noise
Speaker 1: generated by these satellites can interfere with astronomical observations, especially
Speaker 1: in the radio wavelengths. The Low Frequency Array Loafer in
Speaker 1: the Netherlands, one of the world's leading radio observatories, has
Speaker 1: detected significant radio emissions from the V two Mini Starlink satellites,
Speaker 1: noting that they emit thirty two times more unintended radio
Speaker 1: waves than their predecessors. This unintended radio interference is a
Speaker 1: growing concern for astronomers who rely on sensitive radio telescopes
Speaker 1: to study the universe. China's entrance into the field of
Speaker 1: mega satellite constellations is marked by its Thousand Sales Initiative,
Speaker 1: a project spearheaded by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology SSST. This
Speaker 1: ambitious effort aims to launch one thousand, two hundred ninety
Speaker 1: six satellites into orbit by twenty twenty seven, with plans
Speaker 1: to expand a network to six was staggering twelve thousand
Speaker 1: satellites by the twenty thirties. The first batch of eighteen
Speaker 1: satellites was launched aboard a Long March sixth rocket from
Speaker 1: the Thaiuan Satellite Launch Center, entering a polar Sun synchronous orbit.
Speaker 1: This marchs China's answer to SpaceX's Starlink, and satellite spotters
Speaker 1: quickly detected the train of satellites shortly after the launch.
Speaker 1: In addition to the Thousand Sales Initiative, China has also
Speaker 1: been working on other satellite constellations for various applications. For instance,
Speaker 1: on September fifth, twenty twenty four, a Long March sixth
Speaker 1: rocket launched ten satellites for the Jili Group aimed at
Speaker 1: creating a communication network for autonomous vehicles. Another batch of
Speaker 1: eighteen satellites for the thousand Sales initiative was launched in
Speaker 1: mid October, further adding to the growing number of satellites
Speaker 1: in LO. These satellites have been observed with an estimated
Speaker 1: brightness of up to plus four magnitude when visible near
Speaker 1: the zenith. Unlike SpaceX, which has made efforts to mitigate
Speaker 1: the impact of its satellites on astronomy, China is not
Speaker 1: bound by any international agreements or obligations to reduce the
Speaker 1: visibility of its satellite constellations. As a result, the continued
Speaker 1: expansion of satellite networks in l EO is likely to
Speaker 1: have an increasingly profound impact on the night sky, raising
Speaker 1: concerns about the future of astronomical observations and our ability
Speaker 1: to study the Cosmos from Earth. The competition to launch
Speaker 1: mega satellite constellations extends beyond China and SpaceX. Other companies
Speaker 1: are also racing to establish their presence in l EO.
Speaker 1: SpaceX has diversified its satellite deployments, launching not only Starlink
Speaker 1: satellites but also platforms for other companies. For example, in
Speaker 1: September twenty twenty four, SpaceX launched five Bluebird satellites for
Speaker 1: ast Mobile, a follow up to the blue Walker three
Speaker 1: test satellite. Blue Walker three, known for its massive ten
Speaker 1: meter wide phased array antenna, has been observed to shine
Speaker 1: as brightly as magnitude zero, making it one of the
Speaker 1: brightest objects in the night sky. Ast Mobile plans to
Speaker 1: deploy one hundred and ten Bluebird satellites in the coming years,
Speaker 1: each potentially contributing to the growing brightness of the artificial sky.
Speaker 1: One Web, another competitor in the satellite communitytion market, as
Speaker 1: faced setbacks due to geopolitical tensions, particularly the ongoing Rush
Speaker 1: Ukraine conflict. As a result, one web has had to
Speaker 1: shift its launch strategy, relying on SpaceX to get its
Speaker 1: satellites into orbit. Despite these challenges, one Web's satellite constellation
Speaker 1: now includes six hundred and sixty satellites, close to its
Speaker 1: initial target for providing global Internet coverage. The company has
Speaker 1: already begun offering services through providers like Huesenet and bias At,
Speaker 1: further increasing the number of satellites in operation. SpaceX's Starlink
Speaker 1: remains the largest constellation in orbit, with over seven thousand
Speaker 1: satellites currently in operation. The company continues to launch new
Speaker 1: satellites at a rapid pace, with plans to deploy twelve
Speaker 1: thousand satellites in the near future and potentially expand to
Speaker 1: a total of thirty four four hundred satellites in the
Speaker 1: coming years. This exponential growth in satellite numbers has led
Speaker 1: to concerns about the long term sustainability of LOO and
Speaker 1: the potential for increased satellite collisions and debris generation Melans
Speaker 1: the Kessler syndrome. In addition to commercial ventures, governments are
Speaker 1: also getting involved in the deployment of satellite constellations. Bu
Speaker 1: s Department of Defense DoD has launched its own satellite constellation,
Speaker 1: melan As Starshield, which currently includes seventy three satellites in orbit,
Speaker 1: with plans to expand to over one hundred satellites as expected.
Speaker 1: The DoD has become one of the largest customers of SpaceX,
Speaker 1: leveraging the starlink infrastructure for military applications. The rapid expansion
Speaker 1: of satellite constellations has also fueled interest in tracking and
Speaker 1: observing these objects from the ground. Amateur astronomers and satellite
Speaker 1: trackers have become increasingly engaged in documenting the movements of
Speaker 1: these constellations, particularly as they grow in size and brightness.
Speaker 1: For example, ACS three the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System,
Speaker 1: a solar sail satellite launched by rocket Lab in April
Speaker 1: twenty twenty four, has become a popular target for observers.
Speaker 1: The satellite solar sail reflects sunlight, making it visible as
Speaker 1: a bright object in the night sky, and it has
Speaker 1: been observed to flare up to magnitude zero on certain
Speaker 1: passes looking ahead. The continued growth of megasatellite constellations presents
Speaker 1: both opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, these networks
Speaker 1: promise to provide global Internet coverage, connect remote regions, and
Speaker 1: support various communication and scientific endeavors. On the other hand,
Speaker 1: they pose significant risks to ground based astronomy, radio observations
Speaker 1: and the overall esthetic of the night sky. As the
Speaker 1: number of satellites in l EO continues to rise, it
Speaker 1: will be essential for the global community to establish regulations
Speaker 1: and standards to ensure the responsible use of space and
Speaker 1: the preservation of the night sky as a shared resource.
Speaker 1: In conclusion, China's thousand Sales initiative represents a significant milestone
Speaker 1: in the development of l eeo's satellite constellations, joining the
Speaker 1: ranks of Starlink and other ambitious projects. As the skies
Speaker 1: above Earth become increasingly populated with artificial satellites, the need
Speaker 1: for careful management and mitigation of their impacts on astronomy
Speaker 1: and space exploration becomes more pressing. Whether we are entering
Speaker 1: an era of unprecedented connectivity or sacrificing the beauty and
Speaker 1: clarity of the night sky remains to be seen, but
Speaker 1: one thing is certain. The race to fill l e
Speaker 1: O with satellites is far from over. To do as
Speaker 1: before n