Two identical bronze casts - one has been coated with Vantablack® 310
Photo Credit: Surrey NanoSystems
Scientific Frontline: Extended "At a Glance" Summary: Vantablack 310 Satellite Coatings
The Core Concept: Vantablack 310 is an ultra-black material applied to satellites to significantly reduce their night sky brightness, mitigating a growing threat to astronomical research.
Key Distinction/Mechanism: While standard spacecraft surfaces cause bright streaks and flares through reflected sunlight, Vantablack 310 reflects approximately two percent of incoming light. This small amount of light is distributed diffusely, eliminating sharp, disruptive flashes.
Major Frameworks/Components:
- Comprehensive laboratory measurements analyzing the coating's reflectance under various illumination and viewing angles.
- Ground-based simulations confirming the coating brings satellite brightness close to the limits recommended by the International Astronomical Union.
- An upcoming in-orbit performance test aboard the Jovian-1 CubeSat, a student-led satellite program, to measure real-world environmental resilience and ground-visible changes.
Branch of Science: Astrophysics, Astronomy, and Materials Science.
Future Application: Mitigating orbital light pollution from the estimated 60,000 commercial and scientific satellites projected to enter low Earth orbit by 2030, ensuring sustainable space development.
Why It Matters: Reflected sunlight from orbiting spacecraft severely interferes with large-scale astronomical surveys and ground-based telescopes, making it increasingly difficult to detect faint celestial objects such as distant galaxies and near-Earth asteroids.
A satellite coating made from one of the world's darkest materials could help tackle a growing threat to astronomy, according to new research led by astrophysicists at the University of Surrey. With as many as 60,000 satellites projected to orbit Earth by 2030, scientists are searching for ways to reduce their brightness in the night sky.
In a new study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, researchers demonstrate how Vantablack 310—an ultrablack coating developed by University of Surrey spinout Surrey NanoSystems, coauthors of the paper—could play a major role in reducing light pollution from satellites in low Earth orbit.
The proliferation of satellites already in orbit is raising concerns among scientists and stargazers. Reflected sunlight from spacecraft can create bright streaks and flares that interfere with telescope observations and large-scale surveys of the night sky, making it more difficult to detect faint objects such as asteroids, distant galaxies, and other important astronomical phenomena.
To tackle the problem, the research team measured how Vantablack 310 reflects light under a range of illumination and viewing conditions. They then used these laboratory measurements to simulate how a coated satellite surface would appear from the ground.
The simulations showed that the coating could make satellite surfaces significantly fainter, bringing their brightness close to the limit recommended by the International Astronomical Union for protecting astronomical observations. The findings suggest that ultrablack coatings could provide a practical way to reduce the impact of future satellites on astronomy and the night sky.
Vantablack 310 reflects only around 2 percent of incoming light. The small amount of light it does reflect is distributed more diffusely, reducing the bright flashes commonly produced by reflective satellite surfaces.
The team is now preparing for an in-orbit demonstration aboard the Jovian-1 CubeSat mission—a student-led satellite program involving the universities of Surrey, Portsmouth, and Southampton. The demonstration will test both the coating's performance in the space environment and whether the resulting change in brightness can be measured from the ground.
The wider Light Pollution and Sustainable Space initiative, led by Dr. Noël, was named Best Sustainable Project at the University of Surrey’s 2026 Sustainability Awards, recognizing its systematic approach to reducing satellite brightness through material design.
The work has also reached the international stage, with lead author Astha Chaturvedi invited to present the research at the United Nations Workshop on Dark and Quiet Skies in Vienna, while Dr. Noelia Noël has highlighted the wider challenge of satellite light pollution and the need to protect the night sky through her TEDx talk.
Published in journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Authors: Astha Chaturvedi, Noelia E D Noël, Keiran Clifford, James Whitfield, and Keith A Ryden
Source/Credit: University of Surrey
Edited by: Scientific Frontline
Reference Number: ms070626_01
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