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An Evaluation of Selected Satellite Communication Systems as Sources of Environmental Microwave Radiation

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Norbert N. Hankin · 1974

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The EPA was evaluating satellite microwave radiation as environmental pollution in 1974, decades before today's satellite internet boom.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

This 1974 EPA report evaluated satellite communication systems as sources of microwave radiation in the environment. The study examined how these early satellite networks contributed to overall microwave exposure levels across different locations. This represents one of the first government assessments of satellite-based EMF pollution before widespread cellular technology.

Why This Matters

This EPA report from 1974 represents a fascinating piece of EMF history. The agency was already concerned about microwave radiation from satellite communications nearly five decades ago, when our exposure levels were a fraction of what they are today. What makes this particularly significant is the timing: this assessment came before cell phones, WiFi, or the thousands of satellites now orbiting Earth.

The reality is that satellite-based microwave exposure has exploded exponentially since 1974. Today's satellite internet constellations like Starlink beam focused microwave signals directly to Earth-based terminals, creating exposure scenarios the EPA couldn't have imagined. If satellites warranted government evaluation in 1974, our current satellite-saturated environment deserves urgent reassessment with modern health research in mind.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study
Norbert N. Hankin (1974). An Evaluation of Selected Satellite Communication Systems as Sources of Environmental Microwave Radiation.
Show BibTeX
@article{an_evaluation_of_selected_satellite_communication_systems_as_sources_of_environm_g92,
  author = {Norbert N. Hankin},
  title = {An Evaluation of Selected Satellite Communication Systems as Sources of Environmental Microwave Radiation},
  year = {1974},
  
  
}

Quick Questions About This Study

The EPA recognized early satellite communication systems as potential sources of environmental microwave pollution requiring assessment. This evaluation came during the initial deployment of commercial satellite networks when government agencies were beginning to understand EMF as an environmental factor.
Early commercial satellite networks included Intelsat, domestic communication satellites, and military systems. These used high-power microwave transmissions for long-distance communications, creating the first significant satellite-based EMF exposures that warranted government environmental assessment.
Today's satellite microwave exposure is exponentially higher due to thousands of low-orbit satellites, satellite internet terminals, and GPS systems. The few dozen satellites operating in 1974 created minimal exposure compared to our current satellite-saturated environment.
This represents one of the first government acknowledgments that satellite communications create environmental microwave pollution requiring evaluation. It established early precedent for treating satellite EMF as a potential environmental health concern decades before widespread wireless technology.
The EPA's role in EMF evaluation was later transferred to the FCC for regulatory purposes. This 1974 study represents a brief period when EPA treated satellite microwave radiation as an environmental pollutant requiring health-based assessment rather than just technical regulation.