Astronomy and Satellite Constellations (IAU S385)
Astronomy and Satellite Constellations (IAU S385)
Pathways Forward
Peter Grimley, AsterEd Consulting, UK
John Barentine, Dark Sky Consulting, LLC, USA
David GaladÃ-EnrÃquez, Universidad de Córdoba, Spain
Constance Walker, NSF NOIRLab, USA
John Barentine, Dark Sky Consulting, LLC, USA
David GaladÃ-EnrÃquez, Universidad de Córdoba, Spain
Constance Walker, NSF NOIRLab, USA
May 2025
Hardback
9781009399227
Hardback
An unprecedented new era in human uses of outer space began in 2019 with the first-ever deployment of a 'constellation' of satellites that will eventually number in the thousands. As the rate of new satellite launches increased in following years, changes to the night sky from optical to radio wavelengths became apparent. Astronomers, innovators, space-law experts and Indigenous elders gathered in 2023 to consider the social, scientific and cultural ramifications of the 'New Space' regime dominated by commercial actors. The contributions in this edited volume span a wide range of topics from the technical to the legal, their authors grappling with a key question: how can science, society and private space companies co-exist harmoniously while pursuing their respective interests? IAU S385 will be of value to anyone concerned with understanding the impacts that satellite constellations have on our ability to benefit from an unimpeded view of the night sky.
- Offers a broad interdisciplinary update of the impacts of large satellite constellations on the view of the sky
- Reviews and evaluates the state of the art approaches to mitigating the impacts of large satellite constellations on astronomical observations across visible, infrared and radio wavelengths
- Discusses the current and historical cultural impact of satellite constellations on our appreciation of the night sky, highlighting the breadth and importance of the night sky as a cultural object
Product details
May 2025Hardback
9781009399227
300 pages
247 × 174 mm
Not yet published - available from May 2025
Table of Contents
- Preface
- 1. Streaks, signals, and space junk: facing the challenges of satellite constellations Karen Howard
- 2. From Sputnik to Starlink: historical perspectives on astronomy and satellite communications Lisa Rand
- 3. Overview of indigenous rights and outer space for the IAU-CPS policy hub Hilding Neilson
- 4. Indigenous knowledges and kinship as a model for our future in outer space Hilding Neilson
- 5. Countering the threat of space pollution: awareness raising via sustainability narratives Nicholas Campion
- 6. Summary of SatHub, and the current observational status of satellite constellations Mike Peel
- 7. SatHub panel: satellite Interference in observatories around the world Siegfried Eggl
- 8. Strategies for spectrum coexistence between radio telescopes and satellite networks Chris de Pree
- 9. Spectrum management at ALMA and synergies with other entities Giorgio Siringo
- 10. Impact of large satellite constellations on VLBI radio astronomical observations for materialization of celestial and terrestrial reference frames and EOP estimation Vincenza Tornatore
- 11. Modelling steerable beams of satellite constellations for radio astronomy impact studies Federico di Vruno
- 12. Systematic effects of LEOsats in Rubin Observatory LSST camera Daniel Polin
- 13. Estimating the impact to astronomy from the OneWeb satellite constellation using multicolour observations Christian Adam
- 14. Contamination of spectroscopic observations by satellite constellations Oli Hainaut
- 15. Spectroscopy of human-made space objects: from low-Earth orbit debris to satellite constellations and exotic outliers Danica Zilkova
- 16. Space surveillance as a by-product of space-based astronomical observations with CHEOPS Nicolas Billot
- 17. The impact and mitigation of satellite constellations on astronomical laser propagation Julian Christou
- 18. Starlink in your backyard: a DIY approach to satellite monitoring and data analysis Robert Watson
- 19. The effects of satellite constellations on amateur astronomy Paul Daniels
- 20. PASO – Astronomy and space situational awareness in a dark sky destination Domingos Barbosa
- 21. Analytic vs. Montecarlo simulations of satellite visibility David Galadi-Enriquez
- 22. Satellites and space debris photometric phase functions used for astronomical images contamination prediction Jiri Silha
- 23. Precise optical observations of orbital objects in severely trailed images: application to LEO satellites, extremely faint objects, and space debris Alex Drago-Gonzalez and George Nunez
- 24. Report of the International Institute of Space Law on light pollution of the night sky from a space law perspective Rafael Moro Aguilar
- 25. Astronomy and satellite constellations: an international lens Aaron Boley
- 26. National approaches to the protection of the dark and quiet sky Yana Yakushina
- 27. General principles of international environmental and space law applicable to the protection of dark and quiet skies Jonathan Kaley-Isley and Tamara Blagojevic
- 28. Update: how proclamations are influencing the grassroots movement for dark and quiet skies Amy Carissa Oliver
- 29. Merged recommendations for mitigating impact Richard Green
- 30. Astronomy, doughnuts, and carrying capacity Andy Lawrence
- 31. A solution of a devil's advocate – Put telescopes in space Lerothodi Leeuw
- 32. Fraunhofer AVIATION & SPACE and IRIS2 – A European satellite constellation Nadya Ben-Bekhti
- 33. National policy with a global impact: satellite constellations and the UK Robert Massey
- 34. National security interests in relation to dark and quiet skies Roohi Dalal
- 35. Forecasting numbers of post-mission satellites of major constellations, and mitigation methods Kenneth MacLeod
- 36. Optical observations of PMS stars from the Rozhen Observatory in Bulgaria Evgeni Semkov
- 37. Spectral evolution of Iridium satellites recorded by AMOS spectral camera system Katarina Sa
