Viasat Tries to Delay Second-Gen Starlink Network With Environmental Review
In a bid to stymie SpaceX’s plan for a second-generation Starlink network, rival Viasat is pointing to environmental concerns and calling on the FCC to investigate.
On Monday, Viasat urged the FCC to initiate a federal environmental review of the second-generation Starlink network over worries the 30,000-satellite internet network will cause too much light pollution in the night sky. “Viasat has further established that this light pollution would have significant aesthetic, scientific, social and cultural, and health effects on the human environment on Earth,” Viasat says in the filing.
SpaceX is already working to prevent its Starlink network from generating such light pollution, which can photobomb astronomy images. However, Viasat claims the second-generation network still risks “significantly” increasing light pollution levels.
“There is mounting evidence—including analysis by independent experts—of the adverse, ongoing, and increasing impact of Starlink operations on the night sky,” the company adds.
The filing cites a paper published in Nature Astronomy and concerns voiced by NASA that light from the Starlink satellites will disrupt telescopes and the detection of near-Earth asteroids.
“There can be little doubt that the proposed Starlink expansion is one that ‘may have a significant environmental impact,’ requiring further environmental review under NEPA and Section 1.1307 of the Commission’s rules,” Viasat adds.
Viasat’s newest complaint is but one of the many objections SpaceX’s competitors have lobbed at the second-gen Starlink network, which has been seeking approval from the FCC for the past year. For example, Amazon has argued the second-gen network risks interference with its own upcoming
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