Drowning in the Signal: What Satellite RF Leakage Means for Science and Technology

As the number of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) climbs into the tens of thousands, a new kind of pollution is taking shape—one that’s invisible to the eye but deeply disruptive to science, defense, and critical infrastructure: electromagnetic interference.

A recent study using the LOFAR radio telescope in the Netherlands revealed that second-generation Starlink satellites are emitting up to 30 times more stray radio waves than their predecessors. These emissions are not part of Starlink’s intended communications but still powerful enough to overwhelm the frequencies used by radio astronomers to study the early universe.

This is not an isolated incident. As China’s Thousand Sails constellation races to deploy 14,000 satellites and Russia advances its Bureau 1440 program with laser-based inter-satellite links, a common pattern is emerging: rapid satellite deployment often outpaces regulatory oversight and technical safeguards against unintentional RF leakage.

While astronomers were among the first to raise alarms, the implications go much further. Many ground-based technologies—medical devices, avionics, secure communications systems—are highly sensitive to electromagnetic interference. As LEO constellations scale, the risk of unintended consequences grows: signal degradation, hardware malfunctions, and even security vulnerabilities, particularly in the context of defense or critical infrastructure.

Regulatory responses remain fragmented and reactive. Voluntary coordination between satellite operators and the scientific community has achieved partial mitigation in the past, but with thousands of additional satellites set to launch, the current pace of collaboration and enforcement is unlikely to be sufficient.

This is why the technical side of the equation must evolve—proactively.

At Slip Signal Technologies, we see this not only as a growing challenge, but also as a critical opportunity—to rethink electromagnetic resilience from the ground up. Rather than treating EMI after it emerges, we address it at the source: the circuit level. With patented technology, it can  replace traditional square waveforms—long known for generating high-frequency harmonics—with smooth, sine-shaped logic. The result is a drastic reduction in EMI emissions, achieved without the need for shielding, filters, or after-the-fact fixes.

This design-level approach represents a shift in how engineers think about noise resilience. Rather than mitigating interference only after it disrupts operations, companies like Slip Signal are embedding immunity into the DNA of the hardware. For industries like aerospace, defense, and medical tech—where even minor EMI-related glitches can have outsized consequences—this kind of foresight is increasingly essential.

We are entering an era where clean electromagnetic environments can no longer be assumed. The skies are filling with signals—not all of them intentional, and few of them coordinated. As the spectral landscape becomes more crowded and complex, both regulators and engineers must respond with equal urgency.

The challenge ahead is to ensure that the digital infrastructure we build to connect the world doesn’t simultaneously blind our telescopes, jam our instruments, or erode the safety of the systems we depend on.

That will require more than better shielding—it will demand a systemic rethinking of how we design, deploy, and govern the technologies of the electromagnetic age.