ScienceJuly 16, 2026
megaconstellation
/ˌmɛɡəˌkɒnstəˈleɪʃən/
Definition
A massive group of hundreds or thousands of artificial satellites orbiting in coordination to provide global services like high-speed internet.
Etymology
The word is a compound of the Greek-derived prefix 'mega-', meaning large or great, and 'constellation,' which historically refers to a grouping of stars but is now applied to organized networks of human-made spacecraft.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe the scale of SpaceX's Starlink network, highlighting how such massive fleets of satellites threaten to clutter the night sky and interfere with astronomical research.
U.S. approval of a controversial satellite has scientists asking: Who’s really in charge of space?
Read the full article ↗Scientific American