Satellite megaconstellations: High-speed Internet at the cost of stargazing

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• January 11, 2023

Insight summary

Satellites enable a host of services that have become necessary for modern society—the Internet of Things (IoT), telecommunications, and global positioning system (GPS). However, astronomers lament that space studies are about to become more complicated with satellites in the way.

Satellite megaconstellations context

A satellite megaconstellation comprises of hundreds to thousands of artificial satellites designed to reach every area of Earth. Mostly used for telecommunications, especially in providing Internet broadband, it is estimated that there are currently 3,300 active units orbiting the Earth (2021), according to the science advocacy group, Union of Concerned Scientists. 

These satellites are managed and launched by three major Internet providers—SpaceX’s Starlink, Amazon’s Kuiper, and China’s SatNet. It is estimated that the first generation of Starlink’s satellites alone will reach more than 11,000 units in the coming years. At the same time, Kuiper and SatNet combined are expected to launch 20,000 satellites to support their systems. Advocates of satellite megaconstellations insist that these satellites are necessary to support increasingly connected societies and provide internet for over 3 billion global Internet users. 

Disruptive impact

The primary benefit of satellite megaconstellations is global connectivity, where internet broadband can be provided to the remotest parts of the world, including the advancement of 5G technology, providing faster mobile internet speeds. Mass producing and launching satellites is more cost-effective than launching one unit at a time, which may continue driving the industrialization of the satellite launch industry. New rockets and spaceships may be developed to lower the cost of launching satellites into space, with these advancements possibly filtering down into the commercial space travel sector. 

However, some astronomers have voiced concerns about satellite pollution in space. Due to satellites using solar panels to power themselves, they reflect sunlight. As a result, they can become the brightest objects in the sky, making it difficult for astronomers using Earth-based telescopes to observe stars, meteors, and particle clusters. (Ironically, this drawback will cause astronomers to increasingly rely on satellite telescopes for clear views of space.) There is also the danger of satellites breaking down and contributing to the growing tonnage of space junk orbiting the Earth, making manned missions into space more dangerous and posing a risk to other satellites in orbit. 

Implications of satellite megaconstellations

Wider implications of satellite megaconstellations being launched into space may include:

• Internet of Things and telecommunications firms becoming more dependent on satellite internet to deploy new technologies and interconnectivity.
• Remote communities and developing countries worldwide gaining access to cheaper, faster, and more secure Internet connections. Local economies in these regions will grow dramatically as they will finally benefit from the same digital advantages that developed nations have enjoyed for the previous two decades.
• The increased commercialization of space, driving more investor capital and a broader array of startups into the space sector.
• International regulations being introduced to control the amount of material launched into space, cleanup liability, and provide guidance on incidents that occur in space. 
• Astronomers lobbying for more regulations to be imposed on satellite companies to ensure that there will be no satellite overpopulation in space. Or at least spurring the companies funding these megaconstellations to redesign their satellites to reduce how much light they reflect.

Questions to consider

• How do you think satellite megaconstellations will support economic growth in remote and developing regions?
• How can governments better regulate the growth of satellite megaconstellations?