Satellite megaconstellations will threaten space-based astronomy.

Area of Science:

• Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Space Science
• Optical Engineering

Background:

• Rapid expansion of satellite constellations raises concerns for astronomical observations.
• Satellite-generated light trails impact both ground-based and space-based telescopes.
• Current satellite numbers are a small fraction of planned future launches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To forecast satellite trail contamination levels for international low-Earth-orbit telescopes.
• To assess the impact of proposed telecommunication industry constellations on future observations.
• To propose mitigation strategies for satellite light pollution.

Main Methods:

• Modeling satellite trail contamination based on proposed constellation data.
• Forecasting impact on specific space telescopes including Hubble, SPHEREx, ARRAKIHS, and Xuntian.
• Calculating affected image percentages and trails per exposure.

Main Results:

• One-third of Hubble Space Telescope images may be contaminated if proposed constellations are completed.
• SPHEREx, ARRAKIHS, and Xuntian space telescopes could experience over 96% exposure contamination.
• Projected trails per exposure range significantly, with an average surface brightness of 19 ± 2 mag arcsec⁻².

Conclusions:

• Light contamination from satellite constellations presents a growing threat to space telescope operations.
• Urgent need for actions to minimize satellite constellation impact on astronomical research.
• Development of methods to predict, model, and correct satellite light pollution is crucial.