Defusing space 'scope photobombs and more: Mitigating pollution from satellite RF transmissions

Interview Scientists and engineers have been taken aback by the amount of radio interference generated by satellite constellations, and many are calling on standards bodies to improve operator performance.

The photobombing of ground- and space-based telescopes by proliferating satellites in Low Earth Orbit has long vexed astronomers. As well as optical annoyances, radio astronomers are also encountering interference due to satellites communicating with ground stations.

In an interview with The Register, Tudor Williams, CTO of high-frequency RF communication company Filtronic, explained the problem, which is mainly related to satellite-to-ground transmissions (many large constellations, such as SpaceX's Starlink, use optical links for satellite-to-satellite communication, which don't cause the same issues.)

According to Williams, the problem comes from the side lobes of poorly designed antennas, where signals are unintentionally spread. The effect can be bands used for communications overlapping with observation bands, causing headaches for radio astronomers.

"In a badly ...