Astronomy and Satellite Constellations (IAU S385)

This volume addresses how can we understand and manage the negative impacts of satellite constellations on human science and culture.

This volume will be of value to anyone concerned with understanding the impacts that satellite constellations are having on our ability to benefit from an unimpeded view of the night sky, and the social, technical and legal contexts within which measures to manage these impacts need to be developed.An unprecedented new era in human uses of outer space began in 2019 with the first-ever deployment of a 'constellation' of satellites that will eventually number in the thousands. As the rate of new satellite launches increased in following years, changes to the night sky from optical to radio wavelengths became apparent. Astronomers, innovators, space-law experts and Indigenous elders gathered in 2023 to consider the social, scientific and cultural ramifications of the 'New Space' regime dominated by commercial actors. The contributions in this edited volume span a wide range of topics from the technical to the legal, their authors grappling with a key question: how can science, society and private space companies co-exist harmoniously while pursuing their respective interests? IAU S385 will be of value to anyone concerned with understanding the impacts that satellite constellations have on our ability to benefit from an unimpeded view of the night sky.