But the radio telescope is one of the most sensitive instruments ever created. It was designed to observe very weak signals, the kind that can be easily overwhelmed by noise in our own neighborhood. For SETI astronomers, who frequently use the facilities at Green Bank and Arecibo, such noise can be particularly vexing. So we're interested in all of it. But we're wiped out over most of it.
Geosynchronous satellites are far less onerous to astronomers, who set up shop in remote sites.
Like most astronomers, Davis, a researcher at Arecibo, is wary of future encroachment, but he is relatively content with the eight-hour window of observation, constraining though it is. At Arecibo and other observatories, any particular celestial object can only be viewed without interference from Iridium for a maximum of four months out of the year. For scientists dealing with the riddles of pulsars, quasars, black holes and other cosmic phenomena, the time can be short. The deal with Iridium appears satisfactory, but astronomers aren't sure if that's because the arrangement actually works for both parties or if the company's slow start means it just doesn't need as many signals as it might at full capacity. Also looming on the horizon are the broadband data communications network Spaceway, with Hughes Electronics on board, and Boeing's Ellipso project, which will provide phone service with 17 satellites in unusual elliptical orbits.