In response to the previous protests by many astronomers against Starlink satellitesProduce light damage, which affects the observation of stars and the recording of images, SpaceXEarlier released documentsIt stated that it will cooperate with the astronomical community to reduce the light pollution caused by Starlink satellites to avoid affecting astronomical observations.
According to SpaceX, the enhanced mirror design will include a sun visor and a transparent coating to reduce light scattering. It also states that light will be absorbed by specific materials, claiming that when the satellite is at a standard operating altitude, the impact of light pollution will be reduced to a level that is indistinguishable to the naked eye.
Furthermore, compared to the first generation of satellites, SpaceX changed the supporting material between the cells from white to red to reduce glare. However, this has the disadvantage of causing the solar array to heat up, leading to a decrease in satellite performance. Other designs include using dielectric mirror coatings to reduce reflected brightness by over 90%.
In addition to addressing the light pollution issue caused by Starlink's low-orbit satellites, SpaceX is also planning to expand the data transmission bandwidth of Starlink's low-orbit satellites to meet the network throughput demands of a growing number of users. Furthermore, SpaceX anticipates providing Starlink satellite internet service in the Philippines as early as December of this year, as previously planned. Service in Taiwan is not expected to be available until after next year.
