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Experts gather to address impact of satellite constellations on astronomy
from Contact 14
BY MATHIEU ISIDRO (SKAO, IAU CPS COMMUNICATIONS LEAD)
An IAU symposium sponsored by the SKAO brought together for the first time astronomers, legal experts, Indigenous voices, industry, and government representatives to discuss the impact of large satellite constellations on astronomy.
Some 250 people met in La Palma, Spain and online in October to attend the meeting organised under the umbrella of the International Astronomical Union, the IAU.
“The IAU is very concerned about keeping the skies suitable for astronomical research, and also for the cultural good of humanity,” said IAU President-Elect Prof. Willy Benz who attended the event. “These satellite launches have lasting consequences, and it’s the accumulation of satellites that creates a problem.”
About 80 speakers and experts in different fields addressed a wide range of topics related to satellites’ impact on astronomy and the skies, from Indigenous cultural perspectives, to satellite observation campaigns and the development of mitigation software by astronomers, regulatory issues and legal frameworks in different countries, industry efforts to mitigate their impact, and international decision-making.
Several representatives from across SKAO’s technical, legal, and communication departments took part in the meeting to discuss the Observatory’s work in this area, for example at the United Nations and its recent detections of satellites at low frequencies using the SKA pathfinder telescope LOFAR in the Netherlands and the SKA precursor telescope MWA in Australia.
The last day of the meeting also saw the launch of a “Group of Friends of the Dark and Quiet Sky for Science and Society”, bringing together representatives from national delegations at the United Nations’ Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). Launched by the delegations of Chile and Spain, the informal group seeks to promote awareness of the issue, review and support the development of best practices, and progress discussions of the topic at COPUOS.
So are experts positive about solving this fast-growing issue? “There’s reason enough to be optimistic,” declared Mila Francisco, Chilean representative to the United Nations Office in Vienna, which includes COPUOS. “The astronomical community have been able to move a lot of governments, and this isn’t easy.”
“Work is being done, and measurable progress is being made. And so no matter how much is ahead of us, we need to continue, and we’ll get there because we have to,” concluded Prof. Benz.
The meeting was hosted by the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC), with support from the IAU Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference (IAU CPS). Proceedings are being prepared for publication.
