4.3. Conflict vs. Collaboration
One of the findings in the SATCON1 report is that the only way to eliminate the impact of satellites on astronomy is to not launch them. This is not a pragmatic position, just as “Don’t use LEDs outdoors” would not have been pragmatic twenty years ago. We are entering a new era in the use of space, one which will see the rapid growth of satellite fleets, with all the impacts — known and unknown — that this will entail. It is the landscape in which we now live. Tens of thousands of satellites in LEO will inevitably create negative impacts for ground-based astronomy, for ground-based amateur, environmental, and cultural stakeholders, and possibly for space-based interests in comparable orbits, all of which will play out in an arena poorly equipped with policy to manage them. The canvas for unintended consequences and conflict is solidly in place.
Throughout SATCON2, the importance of continuing collaborative work between all stakeholders with highly diverse missions and motivations was manifest. The Observations and Algorithms WG recommendations require that astronomy and industry be in close and regular collaboration henceforth. The Community Engagement WG noted that better international regulation with globally coordinated oversight and enforcement is essential, and the Policy WG addressed this issue in detail. As will be clear in the full WG reports, consensus was often but not always achieved, and disagreements arose. The SOC is unanimous that this is to be expected, but the SOC also views SATCON2 as only the start of a necessary, concerted collaborative effort to address the ongoing transformation of the night sky, engaging the broadest set of interests in moving forward.
This image of Venus and the Pleiades also shows the tracks of Starlink satellites, part of an ever-growing constellation of satellites aimed to provide worldwide Internet access. The reflective surfaces of the satellites, coupled with the fact that they are orbiting around the Earth, means that astronomical observations which require very long exposures capture “tracks” of the satellites in their images. Because the number of satellites is expected to grow, it is likely that in the near future there will be no place on Earth where these satellites will not be visible crossing the sky. This new type of light pollution is a problem we will have to deal with. Credit: Torsten Hansen/IAU OAE
