2019年经济学人 被光闪瞎(2)（在线收听）

In later exchanges, though, he struck a more understanding tone.

然而在随后的交谈中，他的语气更加体谅。

Starlink would avoid the frequencies associated with radio astronomy, he said,

他表示，星链将避免和射电天文学有关的频率，

and if the satellites' orientations needed to be tweaked to minimise solar reflection

如果在关键天文实验期间，需要调整卫星定向

during critical astronomical experiments, that could easily be done.

以将太阳反射减少到最小，那么这也很容易做到。

Moreover, as the initial Starlink satellites moved into their operational configuration after the weekend,

此外，随着最初星链卫星在周末之后移动进入航行状态，

their brightness dropped—though they still occasionally flared as they crossed the sky,

它们的亮度下降—虽然它们在划过天空时偶尔还会闪光

probably because of reflections from their large solar panels.

这可能是因为它们巨大的太阳能电池板反射的光。

Mr Musk also seemed, in his tweets, to suggest that the aims of Starlink outweighed the harms.

马斯克似乎也在推特中暗示，星链的目标比危害重要。

"Potentially helping billions of economically disadvantaged people is the greater good.

“帮助数十亿经济上的弱势群体是一件更好的事。

That said, we'll make sure Starlink has no material effect on discoveries in astronomy. We care a great deal about science."

即便如此，我们将确保星链对天文学的发现不会产生任何实质性影响。我们非常关心科学。”

His assertion has merit. The problem, as Mark McCaughrean,

他的主张是有道理的。如欧洲航天局

senior adviser for science and exploration at the European Space Agency, observes,

科学与探索高级顾问Mark McCaughrean所观察，

is that there has been little public discussion of the matter.

问题是公众很少讨论这个问题。

From his point of view the night sky is a public commons that risks appropriation in the name of private interest.

从他的观点来看，夜空是一个冒着以私人利益为名挪用风险的公共领域。

Whether that appropriation serves the greater good should at least be a matter of debate.

不论挪用是否有效，更大的利益至少应该是一个有争议的问题。

For now, astronomers plan to carry out further simulations of the potential impacts of Starlink

目前天文学家计划对星链以及其他由OneWeb等公司计划的

and other communication-satellite networks planned by companies such as OneWeb.

通信卫星网络潜在影响进行进一步模拟。

But even when that work is complete, it is unclear what they can actually do to make SpaceX

但即使这项工作完成了，也不清楚他们究竟能做些什么

and its competitors listen to their concerns, for there is no legislation to regulate the impact of satellites on the night sky.

使SpaceX及其竞争者倾听他们的担忧，因为没有法律管控夜空卫星的影响。

America's Federal Communications Commission does concern itself with

美国联邦通讯委员会确实很担心

how satellites use the available radio spectrum and with what happens to them after they have done their job.

卫星如何利用现有的无线电频谱以及它们完成工作后会发生什么。

But that is it. With the coming mega-constellations of communications satellites,

但仅此而已。随着即将到来的通信卫星巨型星丛，

it is perhaps time for this to change, and for governments (not only America's) to involve themselves more deeply in the uses of heaven.

也许是时候改变了，政府（不仅仅是美国政府）也是时候更加深入地参与到对天空的使用之中。