Study: Satellites Emit Radio Radiation Disrupting Astronomy
Radio Telescopes Detect Orbiting Satellite Interference
Low-earth orbit communications satellites emit radio signals that interfere with astronomical observations across multiple frequencies, according to a study published on October 18, 2026, in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and reported by The Hindu.
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The Tech TL;DR:
- Low-earth orbit satellites from Starlink, OneWeb, and Guowang emit radio signals that disrupt radio astronomy.
- Researchers tracked satellites across 376 hours using the Mopra radio telescope and Australia Telescope Compact Array.
- Unintended radiation from onboard electronics reached up to 100-billion-times brighter than typical astronomical sources.
Researchers Track Three Major Satellite Constellations
The study authors tracked satellites belonging to Starlink, OneWeb, and China’s Guowang constellations across nearly 376 hours starting in April 2024. They utilized the Mopra radio telescope and the Australia Telescope Compact Array for the tracking effort. Based on their observations, researchers classified the recorded radiation into three distinct categories: intended, unwanted, and unintended.
Intended transmissions included direct-to-cell signals originating directly from Starlink satellites. Unwanted transmissions covered emissions from onboard transmitters, including harmonic signals appearing at multiples of the primary transmission frequency. Unintended radiation consisted of stray emissions generated by electronic components such as power converters and onboard computers.
Satellite Emissions Risk Disrupting Radio Telescopes
The researchers identified a specific signal from the OneWeb constellation operating at 1,613.19 megahertz. This frequency risks disrupting telescopes tasked with studying hydroxyl ions in space. Observations revealed radiation at 2,700 Hz appearing in nearly 77% of all observations gathered from a specific hardware version of Starlink satellites.
Certain recorded signals reached intensities 100-billion-times brighter than typical astronomical sources. The study authors warned that these intense emissions could easily overwhelm sensitive radio telescopes.
Authors Urge Operators to Monitor Emissions
To mitigate the interference, the study’s authors concluded that operators could adopt existing international rules governing radio transmissions through the atmosphere to control emissions from satellites currently in earth orbit. They also called for satellite operators, hardware designers, and space agencies to implement continuous emissions monitoring, particularly as direct-to-cell services expand via private enterprises such as Starlink and Amazon Leo.