Overview
- Reflect Orbital seeks FCC approval to deploy Earendil‑1, a mirror satellite at roughly 400 miles altitude designed to light a three‑mile‑wide area with moon‑level brightness.
- The company pitches on‑demand illumination for solar farms, disaster response and nighttime lighting, with pricing around $5,000 per hour per mirror and potential revenue‑sharing with power producers.
- Long‑term plans call for about 1,000 satellites by 2028, scaling to 5,000 by 2030 and 50,000 by 2035, backed by more than $28 million in funding to date.
- Astronomers and environmental experts warn of widespread light pollution, harm to wildlife and human circadian rhythms, aviation hazards, and added collision and debris risks in low Earth orbit.
- Feasibility is contested, with calculations submitted to the FCC indicating thousands of satellites would be needed to approach a fraction of midday sunlight, while the FCC’s review largely excludes terrestrial environmental impacts.