The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved a satellite launch on Thursday to test a reflector designed to direct sunlight towards points on Earth.
The Earendil-1 satellite, created by startup Reflect Orbital, contains a highly specular thin-film reflector that can direct “abundant sunlight” to specific locations at specific times, including night, extending usable hours for solar cells to collect energy and providing illumination for critical operations, according to the FCC application.
According to Reflect Orbital, the company seeks to expand access to reliable, abundant energy sources by making existing solar infrastructure more useful and to reduce fossil-fuel dependence.
“Humanity consumes less than one trillionth of the sun’s output, yet solar represents just 7% of global electricity production,” Reflect Orbital writes on its website.
“We think humanity can and should use more - even just a fraction more - of the most powerful resource in the solar system.”
On the site, Reflect Orbital presents a future where consumers can order sunlight on demand, providing even coverage over an area as small as five kilometers, with no need for any ground infrastructure.
While Reflect Orbital itself will control the reflector through its on-the-ground facilities, it states that setup will be easy, and consumers will be able to order instantly in approved locations via its app or website.
Concerns over astronomy, stargazing impact
However, many groups, including the American Astronautical Society, Aviation Safety Stakeholders, DarkSky International, and the Royal Astronomical Society, expressed concerns over the satellite, with the FCC receiving almost 2,000 comments protesting the application.
Critics say the satellite could endanger the public by creating glare that would affect pilots and drivers. Others expressed concern over the impact of a satellite designed to reflect light on astronomy and stargazing.
Further exacerbating concerns is that the Earendil-1 is only the start of what Reflect Orbital has planned. It has the goal of launching two satellites in 2026 and then growing exponentially from 36 in 2027 to over 5,000 in 2030.
Reflect Orbital projects that the two satellites can generate light comparable to a full moon over an area.
However, the FCC stated that complaints regarding a future fleet of satellites were not considered, as the current approval is only for the Earendil-1
Reflect Orbital insists on efforts to prove precise controllability of sunlight
Reflect Orbital has also pushed back on these objections, insisting it aims to prove that the reflected sunlight can be precisely controlled, and that its use will be limited as well as coordinated with any affected communities and scientific institutions. Additionally, Reflect Orbital stated it would be willing to change course, should evidence not support its technology’s deployment.
Reflect Orbital also argued that the risk of not launching the satellite and expanding clean energy use is greater than that of the new technology.
“If the world fails to create abundant clean energy, the consequences will be measured in poverty, instability, preventable disease, lost opportunity, continued fossil-fuel dependence, and unnecessary human suffering,” it said.