Astronaut captures stunning shots of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites

By Dean Murray

An astronaut has captured a jaw-dropping view of Elon Musk's Starlink satellites from above.

American spaceman Don Pettit used long exposure camera techniques to shoot images he dubbed "wonky streaks" from 257 miles up on the International Space Station.

The Expedition 72 Flight Engineer said: "Starlinks flashing ISS. Compared to the well-defined streaks from star trails, this time exposure shows wonky streaks flashing ISS.

"These are Starlink satellites reflecting pre-dusk or pre-dawn sunlight off their solar panels. They are only seen from 5 to 18 degrees preceding or trailing the sun."

The NASA spaceman said the satellites create bright flashes, lasting for a few seconds each due to the orientation of their outward-pointing solar panels.

He said: "Starlink satellites look like a miniature version of the monolith from “2001: A Space Odyssey”, where the large flat face of the monolith points towards the Earth and the solar panel protrudes outward like the fin on the back of a Dimetrodon.

"These bright flashes are not directed towards Earth and are strikingly bright from orbit."

Starlink is the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more.

As of November 2024, there are approximately 6,600 active Starlink satellites in orbit. Nearly 12,000 satellites are planned to be deployed, with a possible later extension to 34,400.