HUBBLE IMAGES AFFECTED BY STARLINK STREAKS

Over five per cent of recent shots contained satellite trails

- Robert Lea

The effects of satellites on our view of the universe is getting worse. The findings may confirm the fears of astronomers who argue that satellite constellations such as SpaceX’s fleet of over 4,000 Starlink spacecraft stand to severely impact astronomy. These fears were initially confined to astronomers working with ground-based observatories, but as humanity’s exploitation of the space around our planet has burgeoned and plans for so-called ‘megaconstellations’ of satellites have progressed, those concerns have spread to colleagues working with space-based instruments.