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SpaceX's new direct-to-cell Starlink satellites are way brighter than the originals

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SpaceX plans to form what it calls "a cellphone tower in space" with thousands of direct-to-cell ( DTC ) satellites.

The higher luminosity of these DTCs compared to regular Starlinks is partly because they circle Earth at just 217 miles ( 350 kilometers ) above the surface, which is lower than traditional Starlink internet satellites.

There are now over 100 DTC satellites in low Earth orbit, including 13 launched last week .

"If the New Space Age goes badly in the end, history will not look favorably on it," says Barentine .

"Space policy-making moves far too slowly to effectively deal with all of this," he says.

"Right now, there's not a lot to look forward to that is positive," he adds.