NASA-Led Study Warns Satellite Reflections Could Ruin Space Telescope Images
A NASA-led study has raised concerns about the impact of satellite reflections on images captured by space telescopes. The study, published in Nature, indicates that the increasing number of satellites orbiting Earth could ruin over 95% of images taken by some space telescopes in the next decade. This issue arises from the reflected light, known as satellite trails, which has already been observed in images from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The problem is expected to worsen as more satellites are launched. Currently, there are over 10,000 active satellites, with SpaceX owning more than 7,800 Starlink satellites. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has noted that thousands more satellites are planned for launch. The study predicts that telescopes like NASA's SPHEREx, the European Space Agency's ARRAKIHS, and China's Xuntian could deliver images filled with streaks, significantly impacting astronomical observations. 
