Scientists from the University of Surrey have proposed an unusual solution to one of the major problems of modern astronomy — the contamination of the night sky by artificial satellites. The super-black coating Vantablack 310 could radically reduce reflected light from spacecraft.

How the new coating works

In laboratory conditions, Vantablack 310 reflects only about 2% of incident light. This is achieved through its unique surface microstructure — it resembles coral formations with many tiny indentations that "trap" and hold photons, preventing them from reflecting back.

Computer modeling showed impressive results. Satellites coated with this material would have a brightness in the range of 6.7–7.8 magnitude under the most challenging observation conditions. For comparison, a regular Starlink satellite under similar conditions has a brightness of about 3.7, meaning it is significantly more noticeable to telescopes.

Why this matters

Today, there are more than 14,000 objects in low Earth orbit, and their number is growing rapidly. Bright streaks from satellites spoil telescope images and interfere with the study of distant objects in the Universe. A super-black coating could significantly reduce this problem.

What's next

So far, the coating has only undergone laboratory testing. Scientists still need to verify its behavior in real space conditions: resistance to harsh radiation, extreme temperature fluctuations, and prolonged vacuum exposure.

The next step will be an experiment on a small CubeSat satellite called Jovian-1, which will allow the coating's effectiveness to be assessed directly in orbit.

The authors emphasize that Vantablack 310 will not solve the space debris problem, but it could become one of the practical tools for preserving the capabilities of ground-based astronomy.

In brief

Scientists have proposed coating satellites with the super-black material Vantablack 310, which reflects only about 2% of light. Modeling has shown that such satellites would be significantly less noticeable to astronomical observations. This could become one of the solutions to the problem of night sky contamination by artificial objects. The coating has so far only undergone laboratory testing; an in-space test is planned in the near future. The work was published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS).