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SpaceX is building bigger and bigger rockets that Musk hopes can send larger telescopes into space.
SpaceX
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk told scientists on Monday that he would like to collaborate with astronomers to look deeper into space and perhaps even get clearer images of exoplanets that could harbor life.
“I am very excited about the future of space telescopes that could be very large,” Musk told a committee of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine through a Zoom video conference.
The committee meeting was part of a decades-long survey in which NASA, other government agencies, and scientists are trying to set priorities for astronomical and astrophysical research. Musk was invited to address concerns about interference from large satellite constellations like Starlink.
The billionaire businessman said “VisorSat” satellites equipped with an umbrella to block the sun’s reflections are a potential solution. The flare makes the satellites bright enough to see from Earth and has spoiled some astronomical observations over the past year. Musk said the upcoming launch of the Starlink satellites should be equipped with dimming devices.
“We will take further action as necessary,” Musk assured the audience of scientists, adding that the solution is “fairly simple” and “we will feel a bit silly in retrospect.”
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Are SpaceX Starlink satellites ruining the night sky?
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Astronomers began to notice the satellites immediately after its first release last year. The constellation has grown to more than 400 individual satellites. The FCC allows SpaceX to launch more than 12,000 satellites and has filed documents with international agencies to eventually have a 40,000 mega constellation.
In the call, Musk confirmed that he sees 20,000 to 30,000 satellites as the ideal size to cover the planet with low-latency broadband internet access.
In addition to his assurances about reducing the impact of satellites on astronomy, Musk mentioned the idea of collaborating on an “observatory of planet images” in orbit. Such telescopes orbit much higher than Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit and would not risk interference from any mega constellations.
Musk wrapped up the call by going back to the idea, saying he hopes his next-generation starship will make regular flights in a couple of years.
“It allows more space telescopes to be carried into orbit at a fraction of the cost,” he said.
He joked that he was motivated by his desire to find out if our universe is really just a computer simulation.
“If we can at least try to imagine some planets … they will have to improve rendering.”
