What Happened
Reflect Orbital To Launch Sunlight On Demand Technology
The Federal Communications Commission has granted Reflect Orbital a license to launch and operate its first-ever demonstration ‘space mirror’ satellite, Eärendil-1. Scheduled to fly later this year, the spacecraft will unfurl a highly reflective 60-foot thin-film mirror to sell sunlight on demand. The company’s long-term vision is to create a constellation of up to 50,000 orbiting mirrors by 2035, which could provide 24/7 solar power generation. However, the project has sparked controversy among astronomers, who warn of severe light pollution and disruption to ground-based telescopes. This development was first reported by Interesting Engineering.