The FCC has approved the launch of a mirror satellite designed to reflect sunlight
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the launch of the Eärendil-1 test satellite by the California-based company Reflect Orbital. The spacecraft, equipped with an 18-square-meter mirror, is intended to serve as a precursor to a potential constellation of up to 50,000 space mirrors, according to The Verge.
The project involves placing a large mirror in orbit that can be tilted to reflect sunlight onto a specific area of Earth. According to Reflect Orbital, Eärendil-1 will create a beam of light approximately five kilometers wide.
The company is exploring ways to use this light for solar power plants, increasing agricultural yields, and conducting search-and-rescue operations at night. Reflect Orbital also plans to offer street lighting to cities and additional lighting for construction and industrial projects to facilitate work during nighttime hours.
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At the same time, astronomers warn that satellites equipped with mirrors could interfere with space observations. Among other concerns highlighted by the publication are risks to human safety, including the possibility of irreversible vision damage.
The idea of reflecting sunlight from orbit for lighting or energy production has been around for over a century. In the 1990s, Russian scientists experimented with this concept as part of the “Znamya” project.
