Reflect Orbital wins FCC approval for Earendil-1 sunlight satellite
A California startup, Reflect Orbital, just got FCC approval for its Earendil-1 satellite, a 59-foot mirror designed to bounce sunlight down to dark spots on Earth.
The idea is to help out solar farms, construction crews working at night, and emergency teams by providing a five-kilometer-wide patch of light for a few minutes each time it passes overhead.
Earendel-1 test alarms astronomers and environmentalists
Earendil-1 will soon be tested to see if it can actually aim its beam where it is needed.
But not everyone is thrilled. Astronomers warn this moving mirror could mess with telescopes and make stargazing harder.
Environmental groups are also uneasy about the impact on nocturnal wildlife and the risk of extra light pollution if a much larger constellation, with public descriptions reaching tens of thousands of satellites by 2035, launches in the future.