A Curtin University study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics reveals that SpaceX Starlink satellites are leaking radio signals up to 10,000 times stronger than the faint cosmic signals the Square Kilometre Array Low (SKA-Low) is designed to detect. Using the Engineering Development Array 2 in Australia, researchers analyzed 76 million radio images over 29 days and catalogued 112,534 emissions from 1,806 unique Starlink satellites across the 73–235 MHz range — exactly the frequencies SKA-Low needs to observe neutral hydrogen from the cosmic dawn, roughly 13 billion years ago.

Some satellites emit periodic 13-kHz tones at 137 MHz every 100 seconds. Leakage reaches up to 10⁶ Jy/beam, while target cosmic signals require sensitivity near 10⁻⁵ Jy. Up to 30% of images at certain frequencies contained Starlink interference, including inside two ITU-protected bands (73–74.6 MHz and 150.05–153 MHz) where no signals should exist. Professor Steven Tingay of Curtin University compared the emissions to "the brightest natural radio sources in the sky."

Current ITU regulations only cover intentional transmissions, leaving hardware leakage in a legal gray zone. SpaceX has engaged on optical brightness and higher-frequency coordination, but low-frequency leakage remains unaddressed. Algorithmic mitigation is described as "embryonic," and engineering fixes are seen as the only durable solution. With over 6,000 satellites already in orbit, researchers warn the window to protect radio astronomy may be closing.