U.S. regulator green-lights mission to launch giant mirror to orbit
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has granted Reflect Orbital a two-year license to test a satellite equipped with a large mirror designed to reflect sunlight to specific locations on Earth at night. While the company aims to support solar energy and emergency operations, the project has faced criticism from the astronomical community over concerns regarding light pollution and interference with space observation.
Why it matters
This mission represents a novel intersection of commercial space utility and environmental impact, highlighting the growing regulatory challenges of managing orbital space as private companies pursue disruptive technologies.
On July 9, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorised a company named Reflect Orbital to launch and operate a test satellite designed to deploy a large mirror in orbit around the earth, despite the controversy and debate surrounding its aims.
Eärendil-1 — named for a character in the Tolkien fantasy epic The Silmarillion — will be a single satellite in a non-geostationary orbit fit with a “deployable, highly specular thin-film reflector”. The reflector will be motorised and can be steered to different orientations. Its purpose is to reflect sunlight towards specific spots on the earth at nighttime. Reflect Orbital has said it intends to use this technology to extend the usable hours for solar panels and provide light during “critical operations” like emergency or humanitarian missions.
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