Astronomers are deeply worried that a planned array of 50,000 mirror-bearing satellites in orbit will severely compromise telescopes.

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A California startup, Reflect Orbital, has received FCC approval to test a satellite equipped with an 18-meter-wide mirror that could reflect sunlight onto Earth's dark side. The demo satellite, Eärendil-1, will launch later this year and cast a bright spot three miles across, potentially lighting streets and charging solar farms at night. The company plans to sell reflected sunlight for $5,000 per hour to industries like search-and-rescue and construction. However, scientists warn of risks including blinding pilots, disrupting astronomical research, and harming ecosystems. The FCC rejected environmental concerns as outside its jurisdiction, allowing the project to proceed despite widespread opposition. If successful, Reflect Orbital aims to deploy 1,000 mirrors by 2028 and 50,000 by 2035, creating a massive artificial light source. Critics argue this endangers natural darkness, which is vital for wildlife and human health, while the company promotes it as clean energy innovation.

YouTube video by Paul Beckwith

ReflectOrbital is planning to launch a $18\times18$\,m mirror in space at a $\sim$600\,km altitude to illuminate a $2.5$\,km radius circular patch on Earth. The pilot satellite, called EARENDIL-1, is ...

TikTok video by Todd Gross🪐Meteorologist

TikTok video by Todd Gross🪐Meteorologist

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved a startup business’s request to build and launch a mirror satellite that would reflect sunlight back toward the dark parts of Earth. Refle…

TikTok video by debranzjzcn

Reflect Orbital says their light-on-demand idea has generated significant interest from commercial and government customers.