京都大学研究团队开发了一项创新技术，将约1200颗星链（Starlink）卫星的公开轨道数据转化为观测工具，通过层析成像方法重构了距地表500公里处热层的大气密度分布，并首次生成了该区域的二维密度图像1。这一方法利用卫星轨道偏差来推断其周围的大气状态，为预测卫星轨道运行提供了新的数据源。
研究团队采集的测量数据来自高度约482至500公里范围内的热层，并将结果与欧洲航天局SWARM卫星的观测数据进行对比验证，两者结果高度吻合1。由于热层由超过99%的中性气体组成，且覆盖高度范围约为100至1000公里，这一研究突破为改进近地轨道卫星的轨道预测模型奠定了基础，有助于降低日益拥挤的近地轨道中的碰撞风险1。相关论文已发表在《Earth, Planets and Space》2026年第78卷第1期1，由山本守（Mamoru Yamamoto）担任通讯作者1。
Researchers at Kyoto University have developed a novel technique that transforms Starlink's satellite network into a massive sensor for studying Earth's upper atmosphere.1 By analyzing orbital data from approximately 1,200 Starlink satellites and applying tomographic reconstruction methods, the team has successfully mapped variations in thermospheric density at altitudes of 482 to 500 kilometers above Earth's surface, producing the first two-dimensional thermospheric density map.1
The approach leverages publicly available satellite trajectory information to monitor atmospheric conditions in the thermosphere, a region composed of over 99 percent neutral gas extending between 100 and 1,000 kilometers in altitude.1 The scientists' findings align closely with observations gathered by the European Space Agency's SWARM satellite mission, validating the accuracy of their novel measurement technique.1 According to the research, improved thermospheric density data can enhance satellite orbit predictions and help mitigate collision risks in increasingly congested near-Earth orbital environments.1 The study, led by corresponding author Mamoru Yamamoto, was published in Earth, Planets and Space in 2026, volume 78, issue 1.1
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