Overview
- The Federal Communications Commission issued the license for Reflect Orbital’s Eärendil‑1, a low‑Earth‑orbit demonstrator, with the agency framing the approval as limited spectrum and technology testing.
- Eärendil‑1 is described by filings as a small satellite that will unfurl four 18‑meter thin‑film reflectors to direct sunlight to surface spots and is scheduled to launch later in 2026 on a SpaceX Falcon 9.
- Reflect Orbital says it plans tens of thousands of similar mirror craft by 2035 and claims the system could deliver intense, targeted illumination and boost solar farm output, but those future plans remain the company’s projections.
- Astronomers and environmental groups say the mirrors could severely harm optical and near‑IR astronomy and ecosystems, with independent models showing a roughly 20–30% night‑sky brightening for ~5,000 satellites and a 200–300% rise for ~50,000, and ESO warning of a three‑ to four‑fold background increase at some observatory sites.
- Because the FCC’s remit covers communications spectrum, scientific and ecological concerns have been raised to other agencies and through public petitions, and regulators say Eärendil‑1’s measurements of brightness, scattering and beam control will guide any further review or limits.