Environmental Groups Oppose Second-Gen Starlink Network, Push for FCC Review
SpaceX’s plan to launch nearly 30,000 satellites for a second-generation Starlink network is facing resistance from two groups calling on the FCC to examine the environmental impact of the proposed satellite constellation.
“SpaceX’s proposed satellites will dump millions of pounds of pollution into the atmosphere causing significant environmental impacts both in space and on the ground,” they argue in a Wednesday filing(Opens in a new window) with the agency.
The complaint comes from the Natural Resources Defense Council and the International Dark-Sky Association; the latter focuses on stopping light pollution. The two nonprofit groups are urging the FCC to conduct an environmental review of SpaceX’s proposal for the second-generation Starlink network before granting approval.
The concerns revolve around the sheer scale of the future Starlink network. There are currently(Opens in a new window) over 5,465 satellites orbiting the planet, meaning Starlink's second-generation constellation will dwarf anything in existence. (Its first-gen network will have approximately 4,400 satellites.)
“By design, SpaceX’s proposed satellites will be deployed into low-earth orbit where they will operate for a few years and then burn up,” the filing said. As a result, the groups are worried the satellites will increase the amount of aluminum and soot in the atmosphere.
“Moreover, the various rocket launches required to deploy the 30,000 satellites that SpaceX proposes can contribute to the problem of stratospheric ozone depletion,” the groups claimed. “In addition to depleting stratospheric ozone, many of these chemicals can also act as powerful heat-trapping gases accelerating the dangerous weather extremes of climate change.”
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