According to the company’s application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Reflect Orbital wants to fly its demonstration satellite EARENDIL-1 next year, with an expected launch date in April. Once in orbit, the satellite will unfold a mirror that measures 60 by 60 feet (18 by 18 meters) in order to demonstrate its ability to direct sunlight down onto targets on Earth. The company, which won a $1.25 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the U.S. Air Force in May, says its future constellation will deliver light on demand after sunset and before sunrise to paying customers on Earth, effectively extending the daytime hours.
But the project, which promises to help increase clean energy generation during peak-use morning and evening hours, has alarmed astronomers and biodiversity experts who are concerned about the effects of light pollution the constellation is going to produce.
“The planet is warming,” they warned me. “So let’s make the sun shine at night, they said.”