Page:SATCON2 Executive Summary.pdf/4



The SATCON1 workshop, held 29 June–2 July 2020, presented ten recommendations for the astronomy community and the satellite industry aimed at mitigating the impacts of large numbers of satellites on optical astronomy.

Three recommendations for observatories noted the need to develop comprehensive software tools to mask and remove satellite trails from images, predict satellite passages through fields of view, and analyze the scientific impact of corrections to affected data.

Four recommendations for satellite operators encouraged careful up-front design to minimize brightness and ensure it varies slowly, avoiding glints or flares to the greatest extent possible.

Three recommendations for observatories and operators in collaboration called for a comprehensive network of satellite observers to measure the impact and effectiveness of satellite design on brightness, as well as for improved positional information to allow more accurate prediction of satellite passages.

The primary goal of SATCON2, held 12–16 July 2021, was to develop specific, implementable paths to carrying out these recommendations. The workshop’s two additional goals were to engage a considerably wider group of stakeholders in the conversations than had been present at SATCON1 and to explore existing policy frameworks, generating ideas for the development of policies capable of addressing an entirely new era in the exploration and use of space.

To this end, we structured SATCON2 in much the same way as SATCON1. We charged four working groups (WGs) to prepare draft reports relevant to the workshop’s goals and to present their findings at the workshop itself. The 12–16 July 2021 sessions then informed the preparation of the final versions of the four reports as well as this executive summary.

Two of the WGs, Observations and Algorithms, explored some SATCON1 recommendations directly. The Community Engagement WG brought many new voices and perspectives to the issue, and the Policy WG examined regulatory framework and mitigation approaches from national, international, and industry viewpoints. The full reports of these WGs, authored by their members, are provided as appendices. In this executive summary, authored by the SOC, we present distillations of the findings and conclusions in the sections below. 4