Glenn Jordan’s article about Mainers beta-testing Elon Musk’s Starlink service (“To solve broadband problem in rural Maine, some look to stars,” March 8) was a good exploration of that service’s potential.
One issue that was not covered is the concern that the proliferation of satellites needed to provide robust coverage will interfere with future astronomical research. Googling “satellite broadband astronomy” will bring up a host of articles about the threat that Musk’s projected 12,000 satellites may pose to science, to our enjoyment of the night sky and to nocturnal wildlife. Amazon also has plans for its own constellation, as do other companies here and abroad. Within a few years, there may be more satellites overhead than visible stars.
We may think of astronomy as an arcane field without practical applications, but science is all one. What we learn about distant galaxies and black holes informs the quantum physics that gives us smart phones and microwave ovens, as well as deepening our appreciation of the universe’s mystery. We need to be careful about how we proceed here.
Neil Gallagher
Brunswick
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