Astronomy
NSF and SpaceX reach agreement to reduce Starlink effects on astronomy
NSF has reached an agreement with SpaceX to mitigate the effects of the company’s second-generation Starlink satellites on astronomy, even as another organization goes to court to block the constellation’s deployment.
NASA signs spaceflight safety agreement with AST SpaceMobile
NASA has signed an agreement with AST SpaceMobile to cooperate on spaceflight safety, even as astronomers grow increasingly concerned about the effects of that company’s satellites.
Astronomers renew concerns about Starlink satellite brightness
As SpaceX gears up for another launch of Starlink satellites, astronomers are concerned the company maybe backsliding in its efforts to reduce the brightness of those satellites.
Op-ed | South Africa’s Space Journey Charts a Course for the Continent
Today, South Africa is an evident center of gravity in the African space community. It hosts some of the world’s most sophisticated ground-based space infrastructure, its space supply chain is strong, and its public sector institutions are oriented toward growing the space industry and national capabilities. Ultimately, however, the heart of South Africa’s space story is not where it has been but where it is going—and the outcomes will shape space activity across the continent.
Far side: the moon’s use as a new astronomical site
Astronomers have always sought out remote and isolated spots from which their precision observations of the surrounding universe can be made. Now, add one more far-flung location – the moon.
Astronomers back technical efforts to reduce impacts of satellite megaconstellations while seeking regulatory solutions
With slow progress on regulation and policy, astronomers are making progress on other approaches to mitigate the effects that satellite megaconstellations will have on their observations.
Radio telescope faces “extremely concerning” threat from satellite constellations
A multibillion-dollar radio telescope is moving into its construction phase while still working to raise funding and deal with satellite megaconstellations whose interference “change the game” for their plans.
Foust Forward | The sky isn’t falling (yet)
When SpaceX launched the first set of 60 Starlink satellites, the unexpected appearance of the satellites in twilight skies as a bright string of pearls dismayed astronomers. With SpaceX planning to launch potentially tens of thousands of such satellites, astronomers had visions — or, more accurately, nightmares — of a ruined night sky.
Tyvak and Lawrence Livermore National Lab release Earth and space images
Tyvak released the first high-resolution images of objects in orbit and on the ground captured by telescopes the satellite manufacturer developed with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).
Rubin Observatory turns to Google Cloud for data hosting
Google announced a three-year agreement Dec. 7 with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory (formerly known as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope) under construction in Chile to host data on the Google Cloud Platform.
