US Approves Gigantic Satellite Mirror That Will Illuminate the Earth at Night - PetaPixel
The FCC has approved a project by Reflect Orbital to launch a satellite mirror designed to reflect sunlight to specific locations on Earth at night. The project faces criticism from astronomers concerned about light pollution and the impact on dark sky research.
Why it matters
This represents a new frontier in commercial space utility that raises significant ethical and scientific questions regarding the preservation of the night sky.
Picture this: you’re photographing in the middle of the night, it’s dark, and you desperately need light. So, you whip out your phone, open an app, pay some money, and boom, night becomes day thanks to a satellite in the sky that is now reflecting sunlight to your location like a bright full Moon.
If this sounds like a dystopian future that will never come, then you’re dead wrong. The United States government has just approved Reflect Orbital’s application to launch a mirror satellite into orbit called Eärendil-1.
There has been much opposition and criticism of the decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to greenlight the Californian company’s ambitious project — not least by astronomers who already fret about satellites obstructing humanity’s view of the Universe.
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