Space is not yet declared an environment

-Aparna Vekatesan, University of San Francisco

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Many people are eager to explore space, just as they imagine a futuristic adventure filled with untold peaks. Space whispers the ancient secrets of human origin to reverent people. We are less inclined to fill the realm of scientific intrigue by dragging out secular issues like money, politics, inequality, and greed. When it comes to the natural world, one experiences the same aversion towards these unsavoury topics. The sight and smell of logging can ruin the idyllic image of a forest. A bobbing island of plastic is a deadening of the ocean’s sparkling sparkle. Space and our perception of nature can sometimes feel like. SeparateEntities, divided between the inhabitable and the habitable. It is possible that our future in space will be lost if we treat outer space as a distant, imaginative oasis and not as a local nature reserve worthy of care and attention.

It’s understandable that space can feel overwhelming and we may feel small in comparison. Sometimes, however, one may feel too small to join the conversation when space is claimed by other large beings such as billionaires and governments. But space is not everything. Nature is the best! Enjoy our water. Space It is a place. like our forests. Space This includes the Earth and everyone who is on it. Yet, space is everywhere Does not reap the benefits of being politically or legally regarded as an environmental environment.

Two is better than one

You may have heard that lots of debris orbits Earth. You might have heard it after it had already occurred. More Are Space launches are routinely made. While orbiting near the Earth’s surface (called aLow Earth orbit (or LEO)Spacecraft are used for scientific research and may contain spacecraft 45% of all operational satellitesTwo private companies, OneWeb and SpaceX, actually own the spacecraft: We can now identify the two individuals who control nearly 45% of all the spacecraft currently orbiting the entire planet. Elon Musk Neil Masterson. Both the public and the planet need better protection from the absolutism espoused by a few wealthy people. These people have already launched 2,333 +428 satellites (Starlink Oneweb, respectively); and this is just the beginning.

Starlink’s Generation 1 & 2 will be launched Together (and planned for March of this, but not yet launched), The grand total of 4,408 + 29,988 = 34.396 satellites to LEO will be added. Furthermore, more than 113,000 satellites are planned.Satellite constellationsAmazon Project Kuiper E-Space is a newer company.. As new competitors join the market, this number will increase. The most important thing to remember is that once these satellites are launched, it will be extremely difficult, if possible, to make any changes or compromises. Although it may seem illegal to allow commercial industries to arbitrarily use satellites, it is not. As of right now, there is almost no legislation to regulate what private companies send into orbit.

LEOs are often cited by satellite companies as a reason for their desire to be in the top 10. Satellites are not the only solution. Other infrastructure improvements such as fiber optic cables are also possible. Private companies claim to offer an affordable alternative, but have yet to prove their worth.These promises. Instead, Many have filed for bankruptcyOr Prices were increased after launch. These companies have been able to grow. Don’t litter your LEO with unfinished projectsForcibly to For many years, orbit the EarthBeforeWe are dumping tons of trash into the atmosphere. SpaceX was one of the first companies to use this technology.Communicated with the scientific community after Satellites were already in orbitThis is largely due to public outcry, public opinion and public outrage.

The Sky is quickly becoming the Limit

The reality is that the laws physics will be more difficult than our lack thereof of policy. Once a critical mass space debris has passed, Earth orbits will become impossible to maneuver. This is known as the Kessler effectIt means that Earth’s orbit is saturated with debris. Additional debris will be unavoidably shredded, causing more debris to be created and prolonging the runaway effect. It will be the end for satellites. This includes the launching of satellites and the continued existence of satellites in orbit.

This is a continuing and very important issue partly due to the deliberate destruction the Soviet satellite. KOSMOS 1408November 15, 2021. During the Russian anti-satellite weapon test, 1,500 objects larger that 10 cm were broken up. For comparison, space debris 10cm or larger are U.S. Air Force closely watches the operationThey are comparable to fast-moving ammunition that can puncture walls at satellites, space suits, or space stations. During this particular disasterIn the event of an emergency return to Earth, the astronauts on the ISS were instructed by their commanders to change into suits and wait in capsules. This poses a threat not only to the ISS or its astronauts, it also threatens facilities like the Hubble Space Telescope.

**Figure 1**The NASA Orbital Decbris Quarterly Newsletter, 2022 Vol. 26 #1, adapted and written by Pat Seltzer of University of Michigan. The magenta line shows the orbital debris per annum, while the brown line represents the total number of objects in the space. The number of SpaceX Starlink Satellites is indicated by the blue dotted lines. These are the moments when catastrophic collisions have occurred.

Figure 1 shows how space debris has increased over time. It shows a sharp jump in the Total Objects brown line around the time of KOSMOS 1408’s destruction. However, this is not the only extreme feature. Starlink (arrow, blu line) is a sign of the increasing number of objects in our orbits and the steady rise in fragmentation debris (magenta).

**Figure 2**Starlinked field of views at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. You can see the brightness and size of the streaks and the potential transients and stars that are partially obscured.

Permanent Damage

Without protection legislation in place Corporate generosity is essential for the preservation and enhancement of our dark skies.Starlinks satellite constellations that have destroyed scientific images are the most recent and most severe example (Figure 2). Astronomers begged Starlinks for a fix and to paint the sky after Starlinks’ launch. fuselagesto be coated with a light-absorbing coating or at least to maintain a favorable configuration. Despite discussions to construct satellites with V>7.0 mag (meaning less than a watt), magnitude7.0 when you look through a Optical filter for visual vision), the vast majority of satellites appear brighter, sometimes up three orders of magnitude (Figure 3, remember brighter magnitudes are smaller number when you compare the number of observations below the green line). The following is a reference: brightestThe Southern Crown star is slightly smaller dimmerThese satellites are at 4.1 mag.

**Figure 3** Histogram showing brightness observations of Starlinks Visiorsat (SpaceXs attempt at coating telescopes) over 15 passes over Earth. SpaceX made concessions to allow their satellites to be darker than 7th mag. However, this failure was not discovered until they were already in LEO. Remember that magnitude is *brighter* The value will decrease as it does. University of Michigan, Pat Seltzer adapts a plot

**Figure 4** The little dipper, and the approximate magnitudes for its stars. At around 4 mag, some Starlink Satellites can be as bright as the stars in your arm. (Image Credit: John Chumack)

The astronomers are now responsible for repairing images in the rare event that they have a good image. Figure 2 shows the damage. The size of individual celestial bodies is compared to the Starlink tracks’ width. This is a small consolation but it will not be the only way to explore space in this new age. Space exploration will continue to be a pillar of this new age that devotes scientific funding and resources for avoiding the negligence of a few. The sky belongs to everyone, it has always been, but the wealthy and powerful are polluting the sky before the vast majority of people have a chance.

Turn your thoughts into action

Even though timeliness and accuracy are crucial, we have not yet reached the point of no returns. There are many concrete steps, including alerting politicians to best-practicesdocumentParticipants at the Dark and Quiet Skies Conference have already created this. United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs(UNOOSA), International Astronomical Union(IAU) and the Instituto de Astrofsica de Canarias. Although it is easy to feel small when we consider space, the results we achieve together can be enormous. I offer this list as an option to help you make tangible changes on this front.

Support the work a brand new center called theIAU CPS(The International Astronomical Union Center for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky From Satellite Constellation Interference). The center was opened April 1, 2022 as a bridge between all parties. This allows for conversation between industry, astronomers, cultural group, and communities. There are four main hubsThe centre’s purpose is to (i) develop software to correct constellation streaks, (ii), to establish regulation policy and (iii), to engage community as outreach and (iv). To liaise with industry and mitigate night sky damage such as testing solutions in laboratory environments and (v) to liaise to industry and liaise to mitigate future damage.
Write to your politicians. (I useResistbotsIncredible free service
You can earn money and have fun as a fellow member of one of these organizationsPositions with a salaryatThe intersectionThis isSpace and policy.
Participate in UN eventsoffice for outer space affairs (including Dark and Quiet Skies Conference).
Send letters to the editorSky and telescopeIt will motivate more people to continue talking about it.
Astrophotographers and hobby astronomers as well as hardcore observers can share their starlinked images on Twitter, Reddit, or other social media platforms. This is how I found out about the issue!
Talk about the issue until everyone within your circle is aware. This could be the first time you’ve been told about it. It’s likely that your friends, family members, bosses, coworkers, and office-mates don’t know, and it could be their skies, too.

We are grateful to all the presenters at the AAS workshop Satellite Swarms & Related Impacts on Dark Skies: A virtual Workshop for their amazing presentations. PräsentationenTake careful notes and be passionate Speak. A special thanks to the editors, for taking into consideration all angles.

Credit for Featured Image: oneweb.net, finance.yahoo.com and NASA Orbital Debris Program Office

Edited By: Luna Zagorac, Huei Sears

Lindsay DeMarchi

Lindsay DeMarchi is currently a Northwestern University graduate student. She is obsessed about gravity and uses multimessenger methods to analyze stellar collapse’s final moments.