Reflect Orbital just got the green light. From the FCC. For its first space mirror. Tens of thousands might follow.
This California startup received its license to launch Eärendil-1, a satellite that unfurls a reflective surface about 60 feet wide. It flies later this year. Just one, for now. But the goal? 50,00 of them in low Earth orbit by 2b035. Beaming reflected sunlight down on whoever needs it.
“We’re grateful,” said CEO Ben Nowack. He called it the first step. A rigorous test. They claim this is clean technology the world urgently needs.
Think about that.
The company wants you to imagine sunlight without geography. No night time limits. Rescue teams find people in minutes instead of hours. Streets get safe, even lighting without carbon emissions. Construction crews work all night, finishing jobs faster. Even solar panels get a boost, potentially easing the load on fossil fuels. It sounds efficient. Convenient.
“Imagine the endless possibilities when sunlight is no longer limited by geography.”
But here’s the rub. People hate mega-constellations. Remember when the stars started looking like streaks of paint? Astronomers were upset. Scientists worry about the atmosphere getting clogged with heavy metals from dying satellites.
Reflect Orbital brings a new problem to the table. Light pollution. But make it intense.
John Barentine, an astronomer from Arizona, isn’t impressed. He says their beam hits four times brighter than a full moon. And they fly them in formations.
That hurts wildlife. It scatters through the air, messing up surrounding areas. It disrupts ecosystems.
“It will have an effect on wildlife… through atmospheric scattering.”
The company pushes back, of course. They say it’s safe. Three ways:
- Light stays contained.
- It switches off instantly if needed.
- They avoid observatories and habitats.
They insist the light won’t burn your eyes, even with a telescope. Won’t start fires. It just caps out at maximum natural sunlight.
Maybe it’s clean tech. Maybe it’s a headache waiting to happen. The mirror launches soon.
The sky will never look quite the same after that.
