The Current SpaceX's 1 million satellite plan could change the night sky
Mar 18, 2026
Aaron Boley, co-director at the Outer Space Institute and UBC professor of physics and astronomy, explains orbital crowding and planetary-scale risks. He walks through current satellite counts and misleading visuals. He discusses the consequences of a million-satellite plan, atmospheric impacts from massive launches, and why coordination and regulation matter for preserving dark skies.
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Million Satellites Means Million Tons In Space
- Launching a million one-ton satellites would massively increase orbital mass and fuel use.
- Aaron Boley estimates ~1,000,000 tons of satellites needs roughly 20,000,000 tons of launch fuel and long-term maintenance, multiplying environmental costs.
Sky Visualizations Convey Scale But Not Size
- Visual maps showing dense dots around Earth convey the right sense of scale but misrepresent sizes.
- Boley explains such images compress real size scales, producing a 'beehive' impression though each dot would be much larger in reality.
Satellites Add A New Layer Of Light Pollution
- Orbital light pollution compounds terrestrial light pollution and can erase dark-sky experiences.
- Boley notes suburban skies hide many stars, but in truly dark skies the cumulative satellite brightness and debris will noticeably blank out the cosmos.