EAGER: Impact of LEO Satellite Constellations on Optical Astronomy: Measurement, Simulation, Mitigation, and Forecast

以数万颗相当大的近地轨道通信卫星（LEOsats）为形式的空间指数工业化，与正常的科学研究项目相比，其时间尺度很短。由于它们目前的配置，低卫星将对地面光学天文学产生重大的有害影响。本研究将评估低碳卫星的科学影响，并探讨不同缓解战略的有效性。迫切需要进行知情的研究，切实评估影响，并进行探索性调查，以便从提出的各种不同缓解战略中选择一项或几项最佳战略。由于Vera C. Rubin天文台（VRO）受到的影响最大，对使用VRO数据的所有其他天文学都会产生多米诺骨牌效应，因此该项目将重点关注VRO及其初始任务遗留时空调查（LSST）的评估、实验室测量、模拟和缓解。自然的夜空是每个人的共同遗产，而不仅仅是专业的天文学家，而它正受到成千上万颗明亮的移动狮子座卫星的威胁。找到减少它们影响的方法会影响整个现代社会的生活质量。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The exponential industrialization of space, in the form of tens of thousands of rather large Low Earth Orbit (LEO) communications satellites (LEOsats), has a timescale short compared with normal scientific research projects. As they are presently configured, LEOsats will have a major deleterious impact on ground based optical astronomy. This study will assess the science impact of LEOsats, and explore the effectiveness of different mitigation strategies. There is an urgent need for informed studies that assess the impact realistically, as well as exploratory investigations to choose one, or a few, of the best of various proposed different mitigation strategies. Since the Vera C. Rubin Observatory (VRO) is most impacted, with a domino effect on all other astronomy which would use VRO data, this project will focus on assessment, laboratory measurements, simulation, and mitigation, specific to the VRO and its initial mission, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). The natural night sky is the universal heritage of everyone, not just professional astronomers, and it is threatened by tens of thousands of bright moving LEOsats. Finding ways to reduce their impact affects the quality of life of pretty well all of modern society.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.