Your Voice Your Vote 2024

Live results
Updated: Nov. 10, 3:59 PM ET

National Election Results: presidential

republicans icon Projection: Trump is President-elect
226
312
226
312
Harris
70,871,521
270 to win
Trump
74,547,869
Expected vote reporting: 94%

Is Musk's Starlink polluting space? Researchers call for the FCC to pause launches

"The new space race doesn’t need to create massive space waste," experts warn.

October 29, 2024, 6:49 PM

As Elon Musk's Starlink continues to launch an internet network of thousands of satellites into the atmosphere, the environmental implications are unknown without a formal review, experts warn.

The Starlink system?aims to provide high-speed broadband internet access around the world, especially to areas where it's unreliable or nonexistent, such as rural areas, according to the company.

While the benefits of increased access are unquestionable, the rate at which commercial satellites are being propelled into the atmosphere -- without studying the impact on the environment -- has some experts calling for intervention.

PHOTO: DENMARK-SPACE-SATELLITE-SPACEX
SpaceX Starlink seen in the sky above Svendborg on South Funen, Denmark, on Apr. 21, 2020.
Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via AFP via Getty Images

In a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a group of 100 space researchers from universities, research observatories and space institutes asked for the government agency to press pause on new satellite launches to allow for environmental review.

"We should look before we leap," researchers cautioned in the letter.

While long-term impacts remain unknown, researchers said what is evident is more satellites and more launches lead to more damaging gases and metals in the atmosphere.

ABC News has reached out to Starlink for a comment.

Since Space X's Starlink satellites were first launched into low Earth orbit in May 2019, the FCC has approved the company to deploy nearly 12,000 satellites into space -- a number researchers say is expected to soar.

"The new space race is ramping up quickly: some experts are estimating an additional 58,000 satellites will be launched by 2030," researchers said in the Oct. 24 letter.

PHOTO: Starlink satellites spotted over Hatay, Turkey
A view of lined up beams of light of the Starlink satellites spotted in sky over Hatay, Turkey on May 8, 2021.
Burhan Ates/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

"Other plans have been proposed to launch 500,000 satellites to create new mega-constellations that would power satellite internet," researchers said.

The letter called for the FCC to pause new satellite launches until the agency can conduct environmental reviews, saying national and international regulators need to develop an "unprecedented system of cooperation" to share the low Earth orbit space.

"Until extensive coordination is in place, we shouldn't let the commercial interests first to launch determine the rules," researchers said, seemingly pointing at Musk's aerospace feats.

The skies may seem boundless while looking up from Earth, but researchers said in the letter that both orbital space and the broadcast spectrum are not infinite.

A May 2021 study published in Nature found that connections between the Earth and space environments "are inadequately taken into account," and that untracked satellite debris will lead to potentially dangerous "on-orbit collisions."

PHOTO: ET Cluster with Accumulated Satellite Trails
This is NGC 457, the ET or Owl Cluster in Cassiopeia, in a stack of images showing the total number of satellite trails (not all Starlink) recorded over 36 minutes of total exposure time.
Alan Dyer/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A Starlink satellite has a lifespan of?approximately five years before de-orbiting, according to the company. When the technology is no longer serviceable, it is destroyed while reentering the atmosphere.

The company maintains that this process means "no orbital debris is created and no satellite parts hit the ground," however, with a lack of environmental oversight, researchers say, what is or isn't left in the atmosphere has not been confirmed.

Sierra Solter-Hunt, an American physicist and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Iceland released a paper in 2023 that warned of "conductive particulates" from burned satellites lingering in the atmosphere.

Satellites are largely constructed from aluminum, a superconductor used for the blocking, distorting or shielding of magnetic fields, according to Hunt, who argues the debris could disrupt the Earth's magnetic field.

Long-exposure image shows a trail of a group of SpaceX's Starlink satellites passing over Uruguay
Mariana Suarez/AFP via Getty Images

Pollution from satellites reentering the atmosphere also has the potential to damage our ozone layer, according to a June 2024 study published in Geophysical Research Letters.

The study determined that reentering satellites in 2022 caused a 29.5% increase of aluminum in the atmosphere above the natural level, resulting in around 17 metric tons of aluminum oxides injected into the mesosphere.

In the letter, directed to Federal Communications Commission Space Bureau Chief Julie Kearney, researchers call for the agency to take timely action over new satellite launches.

"We're in a short window of time when we can prevent making a mess of space and our atmosphere rather than spend decades cleaning it up," researchers said, adding, "The new space race doesn't need to create massive space waste."

Related Topics

Popular Reads

ABC News Live

ABC News Live

24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events

seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
mfhoudan.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
jerusalemdispatch.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
worldhealthstory.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
techguroh.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com