If all Starlink satellites had phone tier cameras & simple scopes, could images processed by their super-resolution imaging network be competitive? is a cool question and to integrate a reasonable telescope into a Starlink without adding moving or pop-out parts which would challenge stacking, deployment and operation reliability the only way to put a telescope into one is to use a "periscope camera", really just a flat 45° mirror (or prism) so that the optics can live inside the flat package of a Starlink satellite (or a flat cell phone).
So to understand better what kind of high resolution optics could fit into a Starlink (by pushing something else out or shrinking it) a key ingredient is its thickness.
Question: What is the biggest periscope camera that could fit inside a Starlink satellite; how thick are the Starlinks?
Images from What is a periscope lens, and what would it mean for future iPhones?
On the left is a conventional zoom lens, which requires all the elements to fit within the depth of the smartphone (plus small bump). On the right, is a periscope lens, which allows the length of the lens to be much longer, as the depth of the phone is no longer an issue.
...or at least not as much of one. Presumably the Starlink telescopes would not be zoom lenses, in fact they could be lenses or mirrors or a mix of both. But for the best resolution across a wide-ish field, they would still need to be long and have multiple optical elements.
From What is the largest number of identical satellites launched together?
Elon Musk tweet about an upcoming launch, that hasn't happened yet at the time this question is posted.
First 60 @SpaceX Starlink satellites loaded into Falcon fairing. Tight fit.
