Image Courtesy: Surrey NanoSystems
A new study suggests that one of the world’s darkest materials could help reduce the growing problem of satellite light pollution, making it easier for astronomers to observe the Universe from Earth as thousands of new spacecraft enter orbit.
Researchers at the University of Surrey found that coating satellites with Vantablack 310, an ultra-black paint designed for spacecraft, dramatically reduced the amount of sunlight reflected back toward Earth. Laboratory tests showed the coating reflected just 2 percent of incoming light, potentially making satellites much less visible to ground-based observatories.
Low Earth orbit currently contains more than 14,000 satellites, with thousands more planned in the coming years. Their reflective surfaces create bright streaks across telescope images, a problem known as satellite-induced light pollution. Astronomers warn that the increasing number of satellites threatens one of humanity’s oldest methods of studying the cosmos.
Using computer simulations, the research team evaluated how Vantablack 310 would perform under different orbital conditions. Even in the brightest scenarios, coated satellites achieved an apparent brightness between magnitude 6.7 and 7.0 on the AB magnitude scale, significantly dimmer than the magnitude 3.7 measured for an uncoated SpaceX Starlink satellite. The results were also comparable to, or better than, SpaceX’s DarkSat and VisorSat brightness-reduction designs.
Microscope images revealed that Vantablack 310’s surface contains coral-like microscopic structures with tiny cavities that trap incoming light instead of reflecting it. The latest version of the coating was developed to be more durable and easier to apply than earlier forms of Vantablack, making it more suitable for spacecraft.
The researchers cautioned that the study only examined optical performance. Additional testing is needed to determine how the coating withstands the harsh conditions of space, including extreme temperatures and long-term exposure to radiation.
Those tests are already being planned. Vantablack 310 is expected to fly aboard the upcoming Jovian-1 CubeSat mission, where scientists will measure its real-world brightness from Earth. If successful, the technology could provide a practical way to reduce the impact of satellite constellations on astronomical observations while preserving the increasingly crowded night sky.
