Re:SATCON1 Report on Impact of Satellite Constellations on A...
by Rebelgecko on Thursday August 27, 2020 @12:31AM
(#24290129)
At least from what other radio telescopes, the issue isn't actually the physical satellites. It's the spectrum they're using
>no real benefit to doing that over launching a single large telescope in terms of launch cost
It would be hugely beneficial to do it in space. When you do interferometry on the ground, your maximum aperture size is the diameter of the Earth (if you had two observatories at opposite points on the Earth). When you do it in space, the size of your synthetic aperture is practically limitless.
> For interferometry, knowing your location to the nanometer is just the first of many challenges. You have to station keep across the constellation (tricky to do continuously while you're in orbit!), it becomes even more important to minimize vibrations, etc
I didn't say it wasn't an engineering problem, but the major reason it hasn't been used yet is there was no real benefit to doing that over launching a single large telescope in terms of launch cost. I hope to see these problems solved soon in the future.