digilib@itb.ac.id +62 812 2508 8800

Space-flight company SpaceX launched 60 communications satellites into orbit this week as the basis for a web of spacecraft designed to provide global Internet access. But many astronomers worry that such ‘megaconstellations’ — which are also planned by other companies that could launch tens of thousands of satellites in the coming years — might interfere with crucial observations of the Universe. Researchers fear that the satellites could disrupt frequencies used for astronomical observation, create bright streaks in the sky and increase congestion in orbit, raising the risk of collisions.