The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is alarmed by the threat to ground-based astronomy posed by proposals put forward by Elon Musk's SpaceX and Reflect Orbital.
SpaceX has applied to launch one million satellites to act as data centres to power artificial intelligence but brightness estimates show that thousands would be visible to the naked eye, many more than visible stars. On average, each image with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope would lose 10% of data due to satellite trails.
Reflect Orbital plans to use a constellation of space mirrors to reflect sunlight to Earth at night. Each beam would be four times brighter than the full Moon and would also contaminate areas outside the beam. Their planned 50,000 mirrors would make the night sky three to four times brighter.
Besides the obvious impact on astronomical observations, damaging the night sky threatens to collapse nocturnal ecosystems and will impact humans too.
Both SpaceX and Reflect Orbital have filed their proposals with the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In response, the RAS, European Southern Observatory and International Astronomical Union have submitted comments opposing the plans. We also support submissions to the FCC by other astronomical organisations.
Dr Robert Massey, Deputy Executive Director at the RAS, said: "These proposals would not only have a disastrous impact on the science of astronomy, they would also hinder the right of everybody on Earth to enjoy the night sky. That is unacceptable.
"The stars above us are a valued part of human heritage – deploying more than one million exceptionally bright satellites would utterly destroy this and permanently scar the natural landscape.
"We hope the FCC wholeheartedly rejects the plans."
- This week the Royal Astronomical Society is supporting the launch of the ground-breaking photographic exhibition Our Fragile Space in the Burlington House courtyard in Piccadilly, London. The free display, which has received significant international acclaim, highlights the grave and deepening issue of space debris. It will be open to the public from Thursday 19 March - Sunday 10 May 2026. Find out more here.
ENDS
Media contacts
Sam Tonkin
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)7802 877 700
Dr Robert Massey
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)7802 877 699
Notes for editors
About the Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science.
The RAS organises scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognises outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 4,000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.
The RAS accepts papers for its journals based on the principle of peer review, in which fellow experts on the editorial boards accept the paper as worth considering. The Society issues press releases based on a similar principle, but the organisations and scientists concerned have overall responsibility for their content.
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