京都大学研究人员开发了一项创新技术，将约1200颗Starlink卫星的公开轨道数据转化为监测工具，通过层析成像方法重建了距地表约500公里处热层的大气密度分布[1]。这是首次对地球热层进行此类层析分析[1]。
研究团队利用卫星轨道信息的微细变化推导大气密度数据，所得结果与欧洲空间局SWARM卫星的独立观测高度吻合[1]。通过支持近实时的大气密度监测和空间天气预报，该方法可帮助改进卫星轨道预报精度，从而降低日益拥挤的低地球轨道中卫星碰撞的风险[1]。研究主要作者为山本守，成果已发表于《地球、行星与空间》期刊2026年第78卷第1期[1]。
Researchers at Kyoto University have developed a novel technique that transforms the Starlink satellite constellation into a vast atmospheric sensor.[1] By analyzing publicly available orbital data from approximately 1,200 Starlink satellites, the team reconstructed density variations in Earth's thermosphere at altitudes around 500 kilometers using tomographic analysis methods.[1] This marks the first application of tomographic analysis to study the thermosphere in this manner.[1]
The research, led by Mamoru Yamamoto and published in Earth, Planets and Space (Volume 78, Issue 1, 2026), demonstrates that the new approach could significantly enhance satellite operations in an increasingly congested low Earth orbit.[1] The findings align closely with observational data collected by the European Space Agency's SWARM satellites, validating the methodology's accuracy.[1] The technique enables near-real-time atmospheric density monitoring and can support space weather forecasting, ultimately helping to reduce collision risks among orbiting spacecraft.[1]