belatedly last class , a communication orbiter unfurled its jumbo wing , stretching out a 693 - hearty - metrical unit ( 64 - straight - meter ) transmitting aerial array in down Earth reach . Once in full deployed , BlueWalker 3 became one of the brightest objects in the dark sky , outshined only by the Moon , Venus , Jupiter and seven stars , accord to new research .
Texas - based startupAST SpaceMobile launched its paradigm satellitein September 2022 as part of its plan to join smartphones directly to revolve , fundamentally establishing cellphone tower in space . As the first of nearly 100 artificial satellite localize to build an orbital constellation , the prototype planet is already a major menace to world - establish observations of the universe .
The authors of a newstudypublished today in Nature compile observance of BlueWalker 3 from professional and amateur astronomers in Chile , the U.S. , Mexico , New Zealand , the Netherlands and Morocco . Through the different telescopes , BlueWalker 3 appeared as bright as two of the ten bright stars in the night sky , Procyon and Achernar .
Artist’s conception of BlueWalker 2 satellite.Image: AST SpaceMobile
AST SpaceMobile is n’t the only fellowship littering low Earth orbit with satellite . Elon Musk ’s SpaceX isbuilding an internet constellation in low Earth orbitwith architectural plan to deploy upwards of 42,000 satellites . Amazon is also planning to plunge a fleet of 3,236 satellite forProject Kuiper , while OneWeb want to launch 648 satellites .
Those satellite reflect sunlight back to our planet , potentially causing bright streak across astronomical images and interfering with scientific data . orbiter like BlueWalker 3 might also present an extra source of noise for wireless astronomy , interfering with wide banding pass receiver and move nearby protected radio uranology band , according to the fresh subject area .
The BlueWalker 3 paradigm has the largest - ever commercial communication array deployed in space . During overhead notice in September , the satellite had a brightness magnitude of around +3.5 , puddle it seeable to the naked eye . However , since the satellite deploy its antenna raiment in November of last year , itsbrightness increased by about two magnitudes , Marco Langbroek , an astrodynamics lecturer at Delft Technical University in the Netherlands , told Gizmodo in November 2022 .
AST SpaceMobile’s BlueWalker 3 prototype satellite launched in September 2022.Image: Michael Tzukran
The author of the young study are not just concerned about BlueWalker 3 as a lone planet , but rather that it reflects a course of progressively larger and brighter satellite . BlueWalker 3 sporadically becomes hundreds of times bright than the current place ofrecommendationsset forth by the International Astronomical Union ( IAU ) to extenuate the burden of satellite on the profile of the creation , according to the new study .
There are presently no official rules to govern the brightness level of satellite in orbit . Companies like SpaceX have been in talks with the IAU to figure out ways to blur the brightness of the Starlink satellites , which have alreadyinterferedwith astronomic observations .
For its part , AST SpaceMobile say that it is endeavoring to treat the issues conjure up by uranologist . In an emailed argument , a society representative highlighted that AST SpaceMobile is act upon with NASA and astronomy group to uprise solutions for the industry , let in possible operational interventions . The troupe is also avoiding broadcasts within or adjacent to the U.S. National Radio Quiet Zone ( NRQZ ) and using roll - lean flight maneuvers to thin out BlueWalker 3 ’s ostensible magnitude . Additionally , AST SpaceMobile is share the positioning of its satellite to help uranologist project their observations and intend to equip its next - genesis planet with anti - reflective material .
The author behind the new field of study recommended that the core of satellite on astronomy should be considered as part of their launch mandate processes .
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