NASA Warns: Satellite Constellations Could Spoil Nearly Half of Hubble’s Images

Space telescopes are increasingly struggling to produce clear, uncontaminated views of the universe as the number of internet satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) grows. A new NASA simulation warns that Hubble may yield usable images only about 60% of the time over the next decade, while some LEO observatories could lose nearly all of their exposures to satellite streaks and related light pollution.

What NASA Found

NASA modeled how dense constellations of reflective satellites would affect several space telescopes. The study reports that roughly 40% of Hubble’s exposures could be rendered unusable by bright trails crossing its field of view. Telescopes operating in deeper orbits—such as the James Webb Space Telescope, which observes from beyond LEO—would be largely unaffected by these streaks.

At-Risk LEO Observatories

Telescopes that operate in or near LEO face the greatest risk. For example, China’s planned Space Station Telescope Xuntian, scheduled for launch next year, could see as many as 96% of its images compromised by satellites passing through its field of view if constellations continue to expand unchecked.

"My career has been focused on trying to make telescopes see better… try to make the telescopes more sensitive, more precise, getting better images,"

Alejandro Borlaff, NASA research scientist and lead author of the study, said. "For the first time, we found something that may actually be worse in the future."

How Big Is the Problem?

SpaceX already operates more than 8,600 active Starlink satellites, and other operators—projects in China, Amazon’s Kuiper/LEO plans and others—currently have hundreds but plan significant expansion. In aggregate, proposed deployments could place tens of thousands of satellites into LEO, dramatically increasing the frequency of streaks across space-based images and complicating observations.

Consequences and Proposed Solutions

In addition to visible streaks, constellations have already affected radio astronomy: studies suggest Starlink satellites interfere with roughly one-third of low-frequency radio observations. To reduce the impact on optical and infrared imaging, NASA and astronomers propose several mitigation approaches:

• Darker Satellite Surfaces: Reducing reflectivity can lessen visible streaks but may increase thermal emission and infrared contamination.
• Operator–Telescope Coordination: Scheduling exposures to avoid predicted satellite crossings and sharing ephemeris data to minimize conflicts.
• Staggered Orbits and Altitudes: Distributing satellites across different orbital shells to reduce simultaneous crossings of telescope fields of view.
• Design and Policy Measures: Engineering trade-offs, industry best practices, and international coordination to balance connectivity needs with scientific priorities.

NASA emphasizes that coexistence is possible with careful planning: "There has to be an optimal way to place constellations and space telescopes…so we can coexist in a sustainable way," Borlaff said. But achieving that will require cooperation across satellite operators, space agencies, scientists and regulators.