Astronomer have begun an international movement that could determine the future of the night sky, after fears of thousands of satellites turned into a more alarming scenario involving hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions, of satellites and space data centers.
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The Outer Space Institute is leading a campaign to push the United Nations to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice clarifying the legal responsibility of states to protect near-Earth space and dark skies.
The initiative began in 2023 because of the impact of massive constellations like Starlink, but it gained new momentum with technology and space companies, including SpaceX, Google, and Starcloud, announcing plans for large-scale orbital data centers, raising concerns that the light streaks of satellites will become a permanent part of telescope images.
Concerns increased after the US Federal Communications Commission granted Reflect Orbital a license in July to launch a prototype space mirror called Erendall-1 later this year. The vehicle represents a first step toward a future vision of tens of thousands of mirrors that would reflect sunlight toward terrestrial solar power stations after sunset.
Critics of the project warn that a constellation of this size could increase the brightness of the sky to levels that would hinder astronomical observation. The legal move came after an attempt to establish a panel of experts in the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to monitor light pollution faltered.
University of British Columbia astronomer and co-director of the Outer Space Institute, Aaron Polley, said the requirement for consensus within the committee makes passing initiatives "very difficult".
Legal route to the International Court of Justice
Scholars believe the International Court of Justice could offer a faster route, as a single state can submit a resolution to the UN General Assembly requesting an advisory opinion. This resolution requires only a simple majority of the states present and voting. The Court would then examine the evidence and provide its interpretation of international treaties and legal norms, but its advisory opinion lacks a direct enforcement mechanism.
The initiators cite a case led by the state of Vanuatu regarding climate change. In 2023, the South Pacific nation successfully garnered international support to seek a court opinion on countries' climate obligations.
In July 2025, the court affirmed the responsibility of states to prevent climate damage that threatens vulnerable countries and future generations. The United Nations General Assembly then adopted a resolution based on the opinion in May 2026, and environmental activists subsequently used this opinion in cases before national courts.
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