Starlink is SpaceX's effort to surround our planet in a constellation of up to 42,000 satellites and beam high-speed internet to any location on Earth, dwarfing the number of 2,000 active satellites in orbit today.
The company has already launched 300 satellites, with more than 1,000 set to follow by the end of 2020. However, many have raised concerns about the collision risk posed by these satellites, and their impact on the night sky; Starlink satellites appear 99% brighter than other satellites in their first few months of deployment.
In November 2019, two astronomers had their observations of a nearby galaxy impacted when a train of Starlink satellites passed in front of their telescope. Since then, several studies have assessed the impact of Starlink on astronomy, with even optimistic views indicating there will be problems.
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