This Startup Wants to Use Space Mirrors to Light Up Earth at Night. Feds Just Said Go Ahead
California startup Reflect Orbital has received FCC approval to launch a prototype satellite designed to reflect sunlight onto Earth after dark. The company aims to eventually deploy a constellation of 50,000 mirrors to provide illumination for disaster zones, agriculture, and industrial sites, though astronomers have raised concerns about light pollution.
Why it matters
This project represents a significant shift in orbital utility that could fundamentally alter the night sky and impact both ground-based astronomy and global light pollution standards.
California startup Reflect Orbital received clearance to launch its first satellite, aiming to build a constellation to illuminate dark areas with in-space mirrors.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted approval for the launch of Reflect Orbital’s prototype satellite, which will test the ability to reflect sunlight down to Earth after dark. The satellite is set to launch to low Earth orbit later this year, where it is designed to deploy a 59-foot (18-meter) film reflector.
If proven successful, Reflect Orbital has plans to deploy up to 50,000 in-space mirrors mounted on satellites to create sunlight after dark. Its proposed constellation raises concerns over disrupting astronomers’ views of the cosmos.
The California-based startup applied to launch a 59-foot-long (18-meter-long) prototype satellite named Earendil-1 to test its idea: bouncing sunlight off a mirror and reflecting it onto a designated area.
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