10,000 times stronger: A leak in Starlink satellites is blocking signals from first stars of the universe
&w=752&h=564&format=webp&quality=medium "10,000 times stronger: A leak in Starlink satellites is blocking signals from first stars of the universe")
Starlink satellites are leaking signals that are blocking the study of early universe. (Photo: AFP)
Starlink satellites are becoming a problem for scientists studying deep space, as telescopes are unable to pick up faint radio signals coming from deep space, from the time the first stars were born.
Starlink satellites in orbit are becoming a hurdle to space exploration, reports suggest. SpaceX has thousands of satellites hovering above the planet, and they are reportedly leaking radio waves that are preventing telescopes from peering into the early universe, New Scientist reported.
These telescopes are extremely sensitive and detect faint signals from deep space from the time the first stars formed.
A team of scientists in Australia looked at 2,000 Starlink satellites and found that the signals emitted by them could affect up to a third of the data at some frequencies collected by a telescope that is under construction. They also discovered that the Starlink satellites are using two frequency ranges that are protected for radio astronomy.
The findings were made using a prototype telescope from the Square Kilometre Array-Low observatory (SKA-Low) in Australia. It comprises 100,000 small, linked telescopes and is being built to study the ancient universe.
Also Read: Elon Musk's Starlink gets India license: Report
Steven Tingay at Curtin University in Australia and his colleagues tracked the signals from nearly 2,000 Starlink satellites using the prototype. They found that Starlink satellites won't let astronomers gather accurate and complete data on the early universe.
)
Sunjay Kapur death: Can a bee sting lead to a heart attack? Doctors weigh in
)
'Bad unintended infographics': Israel 'apologises' for map showing Jammu and Kashmir in Pakistan, and it's not the first time
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Missiles seen in sky, explosions heard, buildings damaged: What unfolded in Tel Aviv moments after Iran launched retaliatory airstrikes
)
Karishma Kapoor's ex-husband Sunjay Kapur's cryptic post resurfaces days before his death: Your time...'
)
Israel-Iran conflict: Israel says Iran ‘crossed red lines by daring to fire missiles at civilians’
)
Moment when Iran launched ballistic missiles on Israel as retaliatory action | Video
)
300-year-old shipwreck with $20 billion worth of treasure has four parties squabbling
)
'Will bring vile Zionist regime to its knees': In address after attack, Iran's supreme leader Khamenei warns Israel will be 'helpless'
)
Explosions near Khamenei’s residence: Israel strikes Tehran’s 'most guarded' Pasteur neighbourhood - Report
)
‘Fake, baseless’: Israel denies Iran’s claim of downing two F-35 jets, capturing woman pilot
)
Morning news brief: Israel completes attack on nuclear site in Isfahan, Iran says dialogue with US 'meaningless' and more
)
'ENTER PROTECTED SPACES': Millions of Israelis run for shelter as Iran continues to launch barrage of missiles
)
Biggest show-off buy in IPL? Indian all-rounder won titles with CSK and MI without playing a single game with them
)
Iran launches 'Operation True Promise 3' in retaliation to Israeli strikes, vows further action
)
‘Any country that defends Israel…’: Iran’s stern warning to nations after reports of US helping Tel Aviv intercept missiles
)
'Not have happened without US permission': Iran AGAIN accuses America of supporting Israeli attacks, says talks with US 'meaningless'
)
‘Iran has never been weaker’: Netanyahu urges Iranians to rise against 'evil, oppressive regime', warns ‘more strikes on the way’
)
US warns Iran of ‘dire consequences’ if American troops targeted; Tehran confirms casualties | Who said what at UNSC special meeting
)
Considered impenetrable, Israel's Iron Dome breached. Here’s how the air defense system works
)
Israel-Iran war: Fire, heavy smoke erupt from Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport after Israeli strike | VIDEO
)
‘All of Israel is under fire’: Iran launches missile barrage after Israeli airstrikes in Tehran
)
Israel completes attack on nuclear site in Isfahan, stopped them from producing nuclear weapon - Here's what military official said
)
'He sat in the same...': 27 years ago, a Thai singer survived plane crash. His seat number? 11A
)
Israel-Iran war: Two dead in Iranian missile barrage in Israeli city, several wounded as Tehran continues to attack
)
'Life will definitely become BITTER for them': Supreme leader Khamenei as Iran launches waves of missiles at Israel
)
Out of Earth defence: Israel intercepts Iranian ballistic missile in space - What is exoatmospheric interception? WATCH
)
Spycraft, infiltration, weapon smuggling: Everything that helped Israel in Operation Rising Lion
)
‘Years of planning, 200 aircraft, 300 munitions’: Israel smuggled drones, weapons into Iran before launching strikes | Inside Operation Rising Lion
Starlink is blocking radio signals from deep space
The SKA-Low telescope will aim to pick up radio signals from neutral hydrogen clouds that hung around in the universe when the first stars began to form. However, they are extremely faint, and it might not be possible to detect them if Starlink satellites continue to leak these radio waves into space, since the latter are 10,000 times stronger than the signals coming from the ancient universe.
Also Read: Black holes or wormholes? Scientists find more proof that Einstein-Rosen bridge are real
Further, the Starlink satellites are emitting signals at two frequency ranges that have been reserved for radio astronomy by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). However, this seems to be unintentional.
“If you look at the signal strength produced by these unintended emissions, it’s not unusual for them to be comparable to the brightest natural radio sources in the sky,” says Tingay.
Studying ancient galaxies is becoming a problem
Concerns about SpaceX Starlink satellites posing a problem in the study of ancient galaxies have been raised before. Elon Musk's company has tried to mitigate it by switching off the internet-transmitting beams when they fly over key telescopes. However, this hasn't proved helpful.
Starlink is currently available in over 100 countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, Germany, Mongolia and others. Bhutan is the latest country to join the list. Starlink will start operations in India in the next two months. According to reports, a satellite dish-essential hardware, will be sold for an estimated Rs 33,000. The monthly unlimited data plan will be offered at Rs 3,000.
