Startup Plans April Launch for a Satellite to Reflect Sunlight to Earth at Night
Source: Slashdot
Overview
A start‑up called Reflect Orbital proposes to use large, mirrored satellites to redirect sunlight to Earth at night. The concept, first noted by Slashdot in 2022, is now slated for an inaugural launch in April, according to recent reporting.
Proposed Technology
Reflect Orbital’s founder, Ben Nowack, describes the envisioned system as artificial “stars” that appear on the horizon, each illuminating a 5‑kilometer circle on the ground for about five minutes as they traverse the sky. Customers could order multiple “stars” via an app, with up to ten appearing simultaneously in the northern sky.
- Current prototype: A 50‑foot‑wide satellite currently under development.
- Future scale: Plans to build satellites three times larger and ultimately deploy 50,000 units by 2035, orbiting at roughly 400 miles altitude.
Launch Timeline
- First satellite launch: Scheduled for April 2024.
- Long‑term deployment goal: 50,000 satellites in orbit by 2035.
Market Strategy
Nowack intends to initially target developing nations or regions lacking street lighting, offering the service as a means to enable round‑the‑clock operations for businesses and municipalities. He likens the technology to the historic invention of crop irrigation, suggesting it could eliminate the need to “wait for the sun to shine.”
Potential Impact
- Illumination of solar farms and industrial sites to increase productivity.
- Extended daylight for entire cities, potentially transforming nighttime economies.
Regulatory Context
- The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) grants a categorical exclusion from environmental review for satellites, stating that their operations “normally do not have significant effects on the human environment.”
- Public comment periods for two related proposals close on March 6 and March 9.
Related Developments
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has announced ambitions to launch up to one million satellites intended to serve as orbiting data centers—approximately 70 times the current number of satellites in orbit.
Sources: Washington Post, Slashdot, FCC filings.