Scientific bodies worldwide are raising alarms over a U.S. startup’s proposal to launch thousands of space mirrors to illuminate Earth, warning of catastrophic impacts on astronomical observation and aviation safety.
The California-based Reflect Orbital seeks to deploy a constellation of reflectors explicitly designed to direct sunlight to the ground, a plan already accepted by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
“From an astronomical perspective, it is catastrophic,” stated Robert Massey, Deputy Executive Director of the Royal Astronomical Society in the United Kingdom.
Unlike conventional satellite constellations like SpaceX’s Starlink, which can inadvertently reflect sunlight, Reflect Orbital’s mirrors are intended to be active light sources.
Reflect Orbital describes its concept as “selling sunlight,” aiming to extend daylight for energy generation, agriculture, or urban lighting.
Sharing a bit more about Reflect Orbital today. @4TristanS and I are developing a constellation of revolutionary satellites to sell sunlight to thousands of solar farms after dark.
We think sunlight is the new oil and space is ready to support energy infrastructure. This… pic.twitter.com/5WRb8etAv0— Ben Nowack ☀️🌎🪞 (@bennbuilds) March 13, 2024
Astronomers warn that the project could make stargazing “almost impossible” in many parts of the world. Samantha Lawler, an astronomer at the University of Regina in Canada, called the proposal a “terrible idea.”
Lawler also noted the brightness of the mirrors could pose a hazard to pilots, who might be distracted by sudden flashes.
She lamented, “A small company in California can, with a few million dollars and the approval of a single U.S. federal agency, change the night sky for everyone in the world.”
Reflect Orbital has requested FCC authorization to launch its first experimental satellite, EARENDIL-1, as early as 2026.
The long-term vision involves deploying up to 4,000 satellites with large mirrors in low Earth orbit (LEO) by 2030. Each satellite would carry a foldable mirror up to 18 meters wide.
These mirrors could illuminate regions up to five kilometers in diameter. The company estimates a single reflector could make an area up to four times brighter than a full moon, with future models potentially using 54-meter mirrors.
Company representatives told Space.com their service is “highly localized” and provides “a defined area for a finite period” of light, not continuous illumination.
Despite these claims, space ethics researchers express doubt about the engineering feasibility. “It is highly unlikely to materialize due to the complexity of the engineering involved and the attempt to operate in busy orbits like LEO,” said Fionagh Thomson, a space ethics researcher at Durham University in England.
Similar projects, like Russia’s Znamya program in the 1990s, failed due to technical difficulties and were abandoned.
Thomson added that even if successful, generating power from redirected orbital sunlight would be prohibitively expensive, producing significantly less electricity than direct solar radiation.
Astronomers remain deeply concerned about the precedent the FCC’s acceptance could establish for similar projects in the future.