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China ’s recently launch " Thousand Sails " satellites are so promising they can clearly be take in with the naked optic at nighttime , far exceeding the limits proposed by astronomical authorities , expert say .
Many more of the mystical planet will be launch over the next few days — some of which could be even bright than the unity we can already see — potentially cause major headaches for scientist and space enthusiast .
The launch of the Qianfan satellites on Aug. 6 from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.
Qianfan , intend Thousand Sails , is a proposed " megaconstellation " of communication planet being fabricate by the DoS - owned party Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology ( SSST ) . The aforethought web isChina ’s response to SpaceX ’s Starlink satellite , which are designed to deport eminent - fastness net across the globe . Very small is known about the undertaking or the design of these new spacecraft , but Chinese state mass medium antecedently revealed that the area aims to put up to 15,000 of the satellite in quad by 2030 , harmonise toReuters .
The first batch of Qianfan satellites were launched Aug. 6 on plug-in a Long March 6A rocket that lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China , Live Science ’s baby siteSpace.comreported at the time . The mission successfully deployed 18 satellites into a low - Earth orbit ( LEO ) . However , the skyrocket ’s 2nd stage subsequently broke apart , litter LEO withmore than 300 pieces of potentially hazardous distance detritus .
Related : Taiwanese scientist call for plan to demolish Elon Musk ’s Starlink satellites
Bright satellites can photobomb astronomical images. The white streak in this 2022 timelapse photo is the giant BlueWalker 3 satellite.
In a novel report , upload Sept. 27 to the preprint serverarXiv , astronomers analyzed the first solid ground - base observations of the recently deployed satellite . These initial sightings divulge that the satellites are much bright than expect . ( The written report ’s finding have not yet been peer - reviewed . )
The visibility of the light signatures given off by the satellites also reassert what little information we had about the satellites design , the researchers noted . They seem to have a matte antenna panel facing toward the Earth and a perpendicular solar raiment point away from our planet , similar toStarlinksatellites , researchers wrote .
At their apex smartness , when the satellites are position directly above the observer , the ballistic capsule can reach an apparent magnitude of 4 — around the same as most mavin visible at dark from urban expanse — while the brightness drop off to an apparent order of magnitude of 8 ( 40 prison term fainter than order of magnitude 4 ) when the satellite are closer to the sensible horizon . ( seeming order of magnitude is measured on a logarithmic graduated table where small values are attributed to brighter objective . )
The scientists warn that some Qianfan satellites are schedule to be deployed at even low altitude in LEO , signify they could stop up being 1 to 2 magnitude brighter than those observed in the unexampled study . Once the megaconstellation begins to take shape , it " will adversely impact professional and amateur astronomical activities unless the operators mitigate their brightness , " the researcher wrote in the paper .
Similar business organisation havepreviously been raised about Starlink satellites , as well as the world ’s big communication satellite , BlueWalker 3 , whichastronomers have dubbed a " photobombing menace . "
The study researchers noted that it is possible to trim back the amount of spark muse off communication orbiter using build - in mirrors , asSpaceXhas done with its 2nd - generation Starlink satellite that start launching last yr . The researchers have urged SSST to do the same .
However , CPS has previously noted that their impinging with China " has been limit , " suggesting that it may be harder to force them into modifying their satellites , consort to SpaceNews.com .
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In gain to polluting the Nox sky with light , communication satellite can also disrupt radio astronomy byleaking radiation into outer space , which isstill an issue with the newest propagation of Starlink satellites . However , more observations are needed to determine if Qianfan planet have the same problem .
Satellite magaconstellations have also been criticise forincreasing the likelihood of spacecraft collisionsin LEO , mother space junk , beingknocked out of celestial orbit by solar stormsandlittering the upper atmosphere with alloy pollutionwhen they sunburn up upon reentry .
