Vantablack 310 coating could reduce satellite glare in night skies

Researchers at the University of Surrey are investigating the use of Vantablack 310, an extremely absorbent coating, to mitigate the visual impact of satellites on the night sky. As satellite constellations in low Earth orbit increase, their metallic surfaces reflect sunlight toward Earth, creating bright glares that interfere with astronomical observations.

Vantablack 310 absorbs approximately 98% of incident light, reflecting only about 2%, which is significantly more effective than conventional black paint. Simulations suggest that coating satellites with this material could reduce their apparent magnitude to approximately +7, making them invisible to the naked eye in most circumstances and helping to reduce light pollution caused by expanding satellite networks.