The huge communication satellite 'BlueWalker 3' also used by Rakuten Mobile is too bright and interferes with astronomical observations & may interfere with radio telescopes
On November 14, 2022, the communication antenna deployment of the communication satellite ' BlueWalker 3 ', which is scheduled to be used by major telecommunications carriers such as Rakuten Mobile and AT&T, was completed. However, it became clear that BlueWalker 3 has a problem of 'too bright', which affects astronomical observations. In addition, it has been pointed out that the radio waves emitted by BlueWalker 3 may interfere with the observation radio waves of the radio telescope.
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https://ast-science.com/2022/11/14/693-square-foot-array-on-blue-walker-3-successfully-completed-deployment/
BlueWalker 3 is an artificial satellite developed as a prototype of the large-scale communication network 'BlueBirds' with 168 satellites planned by AST SpaceMobile. I plan to use the net. Such BlueWalker 3 is equipped with a huge reflective antenna of 693 square feet (about 64 square meters) to realize communication with the ground, but the light reflected by the antenna is too bright and astronomical observation on the ground was found to have an impact on
At the time of writing the article, several companies, such as SpaceX's Starlink, have deployed satellite Internet services, and many communication satellites have already been deployed in outer space. However, according to astronomer
There are several artifacts in outer space that are brighter than BlueWalker 3. For example, the International Space Station is 40 times brighter than BlueWalker 3. Still, the International Space Station's current location is public, so astronomers can take countermeasures such as reorienting their telescopes. On the other hand, AST SpaceMobile has not responded to astronomers' requests for location sharing of BlueWalker 3.
AST SpaceMobile told the scientific journal Science, “We want to use the latest technologies and strategies to reduce our impact on astronomy. We are working on technology development including prevention materials, ”he said, appealing to reduce the impact on astronomical observations. Also, AST SpaceMobile CEO Abel Avellan said, ``Starlink is planning to launch tens of thousands of satellites.Compared to that, AST SpaceMobile's satellites will not hinder astronomy.''
The BlueWalker 3's problems aren't just optical. Unlike other Internet services, BlueWalker 3 aims to provide communication services on 4G and 5G. For this reason, BlueWalker 3 needs to use radio waves in a wider band than other communication satellites, and it has been pointed out that the radio waves used may interfere with the observation radio waves of the radio telescope.
On Earth, the use of radio waves for use in radio telescopes is strictly restricted. However, the same kind of regulation does not apply in outer space. Valentin points out that the current regulations were enacted in the 1960s, long before private companies entered space. hm,” he said.
On November 2, 2022, the US Government Accountability Office instructed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ``reconsider the rules regarding satellites'', and the next day the FCC established the ``Space Agency''. doing. With the establishment of the Space Agency, it is hoped that rules will be enacted that are suitable for modern and future technological situations.
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