Dr. John Barentine FRAS on Nostr: Lowering their altitudes would make Starlink objects ~20% optically brighter than ...

Lowering their altitudes would make Starlink objects ~20% optically brighter than they are now. But there's a tradeoff, as (1) sats spend more time in the Earth's shadow and (2) are more out-of-focus to large optical/IR telescopes.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/10/spacex-claims-starlink-can-offer-gigabit-speeds-if-fcc-approves-new-plan/

#Astronomy #Space #SpaceX #Satellites #Starlink