There's a new corporate space race to provide internet access, and scientists say the lack of regulations could prove costly to both consumers and the planet. In the past five years, the number of large satellites has increased exponentially, with the majority of launches being dominated by Elon Musk's SpaceX and Starlink. But concerns over space waste, atmospheric damage, and the potential for collisions have researchers across the world sounding the alarm. In a recent letter sent to the Federal Communications Commission's Space Bureau, more than 100 researchers and space professionals demanded that the FCC better regulate the satellite launches or delegate the responsibility to a better equipped agency, noting that an estimated additional 58,000 satellites could be launched by 2030, with other proposals of 500,000 satellites to power the internet in the works. Currently, more than 6,000 satellites in orbit are owned by Starlink, about 60% of the total. The letter explained the ramifications of that many satellites in orbit are unclear due to a lack of environmental reviews of space-related technology, citing the FCC's "categorical exclusion" of satellites from the National Environmental Policy Act. "This is a new frontier, and we should save ourselves a lot of trouble by making sure we move forward in a way that doesn't cause major problems for our future," the letter stated. Samantha Lawler, an associate professor of astronomy at the University of Regina, Canada, and one of the signatories of the letter, likened SpaceX's proposed satellite plans to "burning up…one Ford F-150 per hour" in the atmosphere. Keep reading here.—PB |