Not since the days of Sputnik orbiting the planet have satellites been under so much scrutiny. Television and radio have been done by satellite for years, but that requires a small and well-defined number of deployments. SpaceX’s Starlink internet system involves a cloud of possibly up to 30,000 satellites in the coming years. Door Peninsula Astronomical Society President Dave Lenius says you can spot them with the naked eye from your backyard.
Astronomers argue that the Starlink network is a hindrance to stargazing and changes the night sky for the worse. SpaceX says it is taking steps to mitigate the visibility of its satellites.