Scientists have analyzed 76 million images from a radio telescope and found interference in the operation of Starlink satellites “where, in theory, there should be no signals”

An astronomical image marred by the trails of SpaceX's Starlink megaconstellation satellites. (Photo: Victoria Girgis/Lowell Observatory)

There's no doubt that SpaceX's Starlink internet service has connected the world like never before, but at what cost? Astronomers have long expressed concerns that the Starlink satellite network could hinder space observations, and a new study from Curtin University backs up those fears.

An analysis of 76 million images from the prototype Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope has found that radiation from Starlink satellites affects images in some datasets by up to 30%; such interference could affect the results of studies that depend on the data. The study found more than 112,000 radio emissions from 1,806 Starlink satellites, and found that most of the observed interference was unintentional.

“Some satellites were found to be emitting in bands where there should be no signals at all, such as the 703 satellites we identified at 150.8 MHz, which should be protected for radio astronomy,” said study leader Dylan Grigg, a PhD student at Curtin University.