2025/02/05 by Anthony Mallama, Richard E. Cole, Mallama, Anthony +5
Engineering · #FOS: Physical sciences #Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM) #Satellite Communication Systems #Space Satellite Systems and Control #Spacecraft Design and Technology
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2502.03651
openalex publication_date 2025/02/05 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The mean apparent magnitude of Starlink Mini Direct-To-Cell (DTC) satellites observed in brightness mitigation mode is 5.16, while the mean of magnitudes adjusted to a uniform distance of 1,000 km is 6.47. The DTCs have faded since early in 2024 because SpaceX subsequently adjusted the spacecraft attitudes to dim them. A physical model for satellite brightness that fits the observations is described.