A giant mirror in space is one step closer to beaming sunlight onto Earth after dark.
California-based Reflect Orbital has secured approval from the Federal Communications Commission for a test satellite, despite objections from astronomers who say the system could threaten eyesight, intensify already stressed night skies, and make the stars harder for communities to see.
What happened?
According to Sky & Telescope, the FCC's approval covers Reflect Orbital's Earendil 1, a 59-by-59-foot (18-by-18-meter) sheet of glossy mylar meant to bounce sunlight onto Earth's nightside.
Plans call for the satellite to operate about 390 miles (625 kilometers) above Earth and direct that light onto an area roughly 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) wide on the surface.
Earendil 1 is only a test mission, but the company's broader goal is a constellation of 50,000 satellites that reflect sunlight.
In its warning to the FCC, the American Astronomical Society cited a "potential for eye damage to amateur astronomers looking through reasonably sized telescopes."
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The FCC said those concerns fall outside its role in managing radio spectrum and that harm from the reflector is unlikely.
Reflect Orbital has presented the idea as both a source of nighttime lighting and a way to extend solar power generation beyond daylight hours. CEO Ben Nowack summed up that case, saying: "It would be really great if we could get some solar energy before the Sun rises and after sunset, because then you could actually charge higher prices and make a lot more money."
Why does it matter?
What may sound futuristic could create real problems on the ground.
Olivier Hainaut of the European Southern Observatory found that a full Reflect Orbital constellation could make the sky two to three times brighter, a shift that could hamper astronomy even well away from the targeted light beams.
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Stars could disappear from view for people inside illuminated areas. Children, in particular, could lose access to one of the most basic shared experiences of the natural world: looking up and seeing a dark, star-filled sky.
Because the approval moved forward mainly through spectrum licensing, the communities whose night skies stand to change the most had little say in the process.
The debate also fits into a broader global struggle over light pollution and rapid satellite growth, as cities, researchers, and residents work to protect dark skies that support discovery, education, and quality of life. The Cool Down has reported on how the broader satellite boom, including other Reflect Orbital projects, could crowd the night sky and strain the upper atmosphere well beyond this one test flight.
What's being done?
For now, the approval applies only to one satellite, but astronomers are pushing for stronger oversight before anything larger is approved.
After the ruling, the American Astronomical Society said it was frustrated not only by the launch approval but also by the FCC's suggestion that reflector impacts may lie outside its authority.
The organization said: "The AAS is also deeply concerned by the statement from the FCC that the deployment of a solar reflector is beyond the scope of the Commission's authority to regulate."
It added that, without another agency stepping in, it is "critical for the FCC to consider all of the impacts of the satellite's use case."
Reflect Orbital, meanwhile, says it is studying those concerns.
A company representative said: "Reflect Orbital is actively commissioning independent, third-party research on the impacts of its technology through both independent researchers and federal partners." The representative also said that the company is trying to arrange a coordination agreement with the National Science Foundation.
The company says it is "committed to ongoing dialogue with scientists, astronomers, environmental researchers, and any community that has a legitimate interest in how its technology develops."
The AAS, however, expressed "dismay" at the development.
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