Elon Musk’s plans to launch thousands of sateliites into space could block out the stars and blind observatories, the Royal Astronomical Society warned.
Starlink, part of Musk's SpaceXcompany, aims to launch more than 12,000 satellites in the hope of improving internet connectivity across the planet.
OneWeb, which is backed by the UK government, and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) are also planning to launch hundreds of satellites.
But the Royal Astronomical Society believes the high number of low-orbit small satellites could blind observatories through light pollution and radio interference, according to a report in the Telegraph.
Robert Massey, deputy executive director of the society, warned a “serious amount of public money” could be wasted if radio telescopes are blinded by thousands of satellites.
Among these is the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope in the Australian outback designed for deep space observation that has been in development for 30 years, and the Jodrell Bank Centre near Manchester.
The UK government has committed £270mln to the £1.5bn cost of the SKA and spends tens of millions of pounds each year on other observatories.
The SKA and Royal Astronomical Society have complained to telecoms regulator Ofcom, asking it to regulate the expansion of satellite constellations.
Massey also warned about the unregulated expansion of satellite launches from China or Russia.
“We can talk to Starlink and we can talk to OneWeb, but can we have the same conversation with companies in China or Russia if they launch systems?” he said.
The Royal Astronomical Society has also provided evidence to an upcoming inquiry by MPs into the UK’s space sector.
A OneWeb spokesman told the Telegraph the company has held talks with astronomers.
“This year, the company has been in dialogue with astronomical groups and observatories, including the Royal Astronomical Society, to understand the impact that satellites have on observational activities and to create design and operational practices that mitigate harm,” he said.
“We are also undertaking brightness measurements and will be looking at those results to explore solutions as well.”