Author Correction: Satellite megaconstellations will threaten space-based astronomy

The correction updates the minimum Earth limb angle used for ARRAKIHS from 7.6 to 55.7. The original calculations therefore corresponded to a Sun-synchronous terminator aligned telescope at 800 km altitude with a 1.4 degree2 field of view and a 7.6 limb angle. Using the corrected 55.7 limb angle, the predicted average number of satellite trails per typical exposure for ARRAKIHS decreases substantially compared with the earlier values. The fraction of the field of view covered by trails and the percentage of exposures affected by satellite trails are also reduced. Figures, tables, and extended data are updated accordingly.

"In the version of the article initially published, in the Space telescope orbit and attitude simulation section of the Methods, the article assumed that the minimum Earth limb angle for ARRAKIHS was 7.6, the same value as that of Hubble Space Telescope, while the angle adopted by the mission proposal is 55.7. As a consequence, the satellite trail frequency per exposure, percentage of affected exposures, and area affected per image in the original version for ARRAKIHS would thus correspond to a Sun-synchronous terminator aligned telescope with an orbit altitude of 800 km, a 1.4 degree2 field of view, and a minimum limb angle of 7.6 (now designated, 800 km SSTA, see corrected Fig. 2 in the article)."

"Adopting a 55.7 minimum Earth limb angle, the results for ARRAKIHS (as proposed to ESA in January 2026 (ref. 1) are: In the Abstract, Satellite trail frequency, and Discussion sections, the average number of satellite trails for ARRAKIHS would be 3.22−0.27+0.27 per typical exposure instead of 69−21+21 with 560,000 satellites in orbit. In the Satellite trail frequency section, the average number of satellite trails for ARRAKIHS would be 4.97−0.44+0.45 per typical exposure instead of 127−41+43 with 1,000,000 satellites in orbit, and the fraction of the field of view (FOV) covered by trails would be 0.914−0.080+0.083 % instead of 22.3−7.2+7.4 %."

"In the Satellite trail frequency section, 92 10% of the ARRAKIHS exposures would be affected by satellite trails, instead of 96.2 7.2% if the proposed 560,000 satellites are deployed. In addition to the text changes, Figs. 2, 3, Table 1 and Extended Data Fig. 10 have been updated. For comparison, the original figures and table are available as Supplementary Information accompanying"

Read at www.nature.com