SpaceX and all the good space stuff

Over 1,800 Starlink satellites are leaking radio signals – and they're drowning out the cosmos.

Space should be silent, especially in the radio frequencies astronomers use to study the early universe. But that silence is being disrupted.

Using a telescope array in the remote Australian desert, scientists detected more than 112,000 unintended radio emissions from 1,806 Starlink satellites. Some of the signals were 10,000 times stronger than the faint cosmic whispers researchers were trying to detect.

The interference showed up in 2.4 million full-sky images, revealing a growing problem. Because these radio signals are unintentional, they fall outside current space regulations – a major blind spot as thousands more satellites head to orbit.

Astronomers warn that without better shielding or smarter design, we could lose our ability to hear the cosmic dawn – the faint radio echoes of the first stars and galaxies ever formed.

Read the study: 
 “The Growing Impact of Unintended Starlink Broadband Emission on Radio Astronomy in the SKA‑Low Frequency Range.” Astronomy & Astrophysics 11 June 2025