Probably never because every generation of Starlink satellite has been dimmer than the last. Despite being significantly bigger, the v2 minis are only 19% as bright as the original satellites.
Honestly, I can see why astronomers are pissed (they need to use software to delete satellite streaks from long exposures), but they really aren’t particularly visible except at dusk and dawn. They reflect the sun as they rise/set on the horizon, but that’s about it.
I live in an area where we can just barely still see the milky way, but light pollution is encroaching steadily.
The main problem is all the empty office buildings decided they need to leave their lights on 24/7. (Check out a light pollution map of Silicon Valley to see which megacorps are the worst offenders).
LED lights are probably a bigger problem though. They’re free to run, so people leave them on all night. Global light pollution has been growing exponentially in the last decade (faster than the population).
That's part of it. Part of it is that sodium bulbs are power hungry, so they tend to be provisioned to be dimmer.
Also, many LEDs have reflectors on top that prevent them from shooting light into the sky. These aren't required by building codes from what I've seen. Similarly, I don't think buildings are designed with this in mind.
Office buildings with massive glass atriums / skylights tend to be particularly bad offenders, since indoor lighting is often designed to bounce light off the ceiling.
