Scientists from the U.K. are planning to launch a CubeSat covered in a special Vantablack paint into space next year to address the growing issue of light pollution caused by private satellite megaconstellations. This innovative solution aims to reduce the impact on astronomers and optical observatories.

The Problem of Light Pollution in Space

With over 14,900 satellites currently orbiting Earth, projections suggest that this number could exceed 100,000 within the next 50 years due to the rise of private satellite networks like SpaceX's Starlink. These megaconstellations are leading to issues such as uncontrolled reentries, radio signal interference, and most notably, light pollution.

Astronomers have been concerned about the reflection of sunlight off these satellites, which brightens the night sky and hampers their observations of the cosmos. This interference is already affecting optical observatories and is expected to worsen with the launch of newer, brighter spacecraft.

The Solution: A Dark-Coated Satellite

One potential solution to combat light pollution is to create satellites that do not reflect light. Researchers in the U.K. are set to launch a small cubesat named Jovian-1, coated with a special hull-darkening material that absorbs 99.965% of light. By monitoring this dark-coated spacecraft in orbit, scientists hope to determine its effectiveness and durability in space.

The project is managed by the Joint Universities Programme for In-Orbit Training, Education and Research (JUPITER), a collaboration between universities in the U.K. The satellite is expected to launch in 2026.

The Science Behind Vantablack

The hull-darkening material used on the satellite is a variant of Vantablack, a substance covered in carbon nanotubes that absorb almost all light waves. The latest version, Vantablack 310, is designed to withstand the harsh conditions of space, including extreme temperatures and cosmic radiation. Developed by Surrey NanoSystems, this technology aims to provide a sustainable solution to light pollution in space.

Challenges Ahead

While hull-darkening can address light pollution, there are other issues posed by megaconstellations that need to be resolved. Radio pollution from satellites could hinder ground-based radio astronomy, and the increasing number of spacecraft raises concerns about collisions and space debris accumulation.