Astronomy vs. the Billionaire Space Race

Synopsis

In the past few years, SpaceX has launched over 10,000 satellites for its Starlink megaconstellation, which is impacting astronomy research across the spectrum.  The huge number of current and planned satellites have terrifying implications for atmospheric pollution, ground casualty risks, and the possibility of a runaway collisional cascade in Low Earth Orbit.  Come learn why Saskatchewan is such a good satellite pollution detector, and what happens when you find space debris on your farm and silent SpaceX employees show up in a rented U-Haul truck to be greeted by an astronomer and a dozen of Saskatchewan's finest local journalists. Companies have now filed for a million future satellites, including data centres, space mirrors, and sunshades, so we'll end with a discussion of ways you can help fight for regulation and safe use of satellites in orbit.