Space Astronomers Horrified by Enormous Mirror Satellite That Reflects Sunlight Back Down to Earth at Night

[Freija]

@-- TPTB -- edit
Duplicate topic - posts moved from newer thread to this previous one. Freija can't seem to remember what she does one day to the next. Sorry for the confusion.

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I should have put this in natural and man-made disasters. What else could it be? This sounds like such a bad idea. What's next? Frikkin' laser beams?

This Startup Wants to Use Space Mirrors to Light Up Earth at Night. Feds Just Said Go Ahead

The startup will begin testing its idea of creating sunlight after dark.

gizmodo.com

The Feds Just Said Go Ahead​

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.

Sunlight after dark​

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.

Through its proposed constellation, Reflect Orbital envisions being able to illuminate areas up to 3 miles (5 kilometers) at a time with intensities ranging between 0.8 and 2.3 lux. By comparison, a full Moon provides an illumination of around 0.05 to 0.3 lux on a clear night.

Why, you might ask? Well, the company wants to use its technology to illuminate disaster zones and search-and-rescue missions, extend working hours for industrial sites, boost agricultural yields and extend cycles, reduce light pollution by replacing city lights, and provide light for defense operations, according to Reflect Orbital’s website.

Orbital disruption​

Ahead of the launch of its first satellite, Reflect Orbital’s proposed constellation has already drawn criticism from astronomers who fear the in-space mirrors will impact their ability to capture the night skies.

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) released a recent report that measured the extent to which bright constellations, such as the one proposed by Reflect Orbital, would affect ground-based observations. The report found that the full fleet of Reflect Orbital’s satellites, when illuminated by the Sun, would lead to the loss of every image from a camera like that of the Rubin Observatory.

DarkSky International also issued a statement in response to the proposed constellation, advocating for “transparency, environmental review, and public accountability before any such systems are approved or deployed.”

Reflect Orbital stated that the company is a member of the International Astronomical Union’s Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky and works closely with astronomers to mitigate the effects of its satellites. The company claims that it will “systematically avoid redirecting light near observatories,” Reflect Orbital wrote in an emailed statement.

“Our satellites’ default will be “off” and we will retain full control to turn them off, dim the light and relocate the spot at any stage,” the company wrote. “Every spot of light we deliver will be requested, approved and contained. We will only provide redirected sunlight when it is signed off by the appropriate authorities in the relevant jurisdiction.”

In response to Reflect Orbital’s application, the FCC stated that concerns over the impact of Eärendil-1 on astronomy were out of its jurisdiction and “are not a basis for denial of or additional conditions on Reflect Orbital’s operations.”

Let's face, we're doomed.

 

[Freija]

Below are the merged posts from the newer thread.

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US approves deployment of giant space mirror to illuminate Earth after dark

Observers Beware: Reflect Orbital’s Space Mirrors Approved for Launch

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the launch of Reflect Orbital's Earendil 1 satellite — a space mirror 18 meters wide designed to reflect sunlight to the ground.

skyandtelescope.org

Astronomers Horrified by Enormous Mirror Satellite That Reflects Sunlight Back Down to Earth at Night

A startup just received regulatory approval to launch a giant mirror satellite to reflect sunlight down onto Earth.

futurism.com

This sounds like a good right? Yeah, nah

There’s light pollution — and then there are giant orbital space mirrors that blot out the night sky.

On July 9, the US Federal Communications Commission approved the construction and launch of a mirror satellite that would bend our star’s illuminating rays to our will from low Earth orbit. The company behind the ambitious venture, Reflect Orbital, claims that its prototype could be used to reflect sunlight down onto dark patches of the Earth, allowing huge solar panel installations to continue generating electricity after nightfall and provide illumination during emergencies.

“We’re trying to build something that could replace fossil fuels and really power everything,” CEO Ben Nowack told The New York Times in March as the company was still seeking approval.

The proposal has outraged astronomers, who feel their profession is already being threatened by massive satellite constellations from companies like SpaceX that interfere with deep space observations. While the FCC reviewed Reflect Orbital’s application, it received nearly 2,000 public comments criticizing the proposal, Wired reported, including from leading astronomical organizations.

Betty Kioko, institutional affairs officer for the European Southern Observatory, called it an “existential threat” for optical astronomy, per Wired. Robert Massey, deputy executive director at the Royal Astronomical Society, told Space.com last October that it would be “catastrophic.” Many are skeptical that even thousands of Reflect Orbital’s satellites working in tandem would be able to reflect a meaningful fraction of the midday Sun, let alone provide enough engilding rays to power solar plants.

Biologists were also concerned, warning that playing god with sunlight could disrupt the circadian rhythms of humans and wildlife, confuse migratory patterns, and even affect phytoplankton, the tiny aquatic organisms that are the planet’s most important photosynthesizers.

Their pleas, however, fell on deaf ears. With the FCC approval, Reflect Orbital plans to launch a prototype named Eärendil-1 later this year. With its 60 foot mirror, the company claims that it will be capable of reflecting as much light as a full Moon over a roughly nine square mile area, according to Time Magazine, for about five minutes at a time.

Those are just the beginning of its ambitions. Reflect Orbital envisions operating an epic constellation of 50,000 mirror satellites by 2035, with 1,000 launched by the end of 2028 — to researchers, a disaster in the making.

 

[GRIZZ0317]

I don't like this at all. Yeah, right now they can only illuminate 5 minutes at a time, but how long until like the comic strip shows they start keeping sunlight away from people who don't pay?

 

[xuenchen]

They could melt Antarctica with this!

 

[worked4dhs]

I can't imagine these things producing/reflecting enough 'light' to have much impact.
might be good for a stand-alone solar plant in a northern latitude where the days are short.

 

[worked4dhs]

other thread in Space forum

Space Thread 'Astronomers Horrified by Enormous Mirror Satellite That Reflects Sunlight Back Down to Earth at Night'

Jul 13, 2026

@-- TPTB -- edit
Duplicate topic - posts moved from newer thread to this previous one. Freija can't seem to remember what she does one day to the next. Sorry for the confusion.

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I should have put this in natural and man-made disasters. What else could it be? This sounds like such a bad idea. What's next? Frikkin' laser beams?

This Startup Wants to Use Space Mirrors to Light Up Earth at Night. Feds Just Said Go Ahead

The startup will begin testing its idea of creating sunlight after dark.

gizmodo.com

The Feds Just Said Go Ahead​

California startup Reflect Orbital received clearance to launch its first...

• Freija
• astronomy bad ideas space space mirror
• Replies: 5
• Forum: Space Exploration and Technology

•