Reflect Orbital envisions a sky-lit future with thousands of mirrors in orbit

A California startup, Reflect Orbital, proposes a constellation of up to 50,000 in-space mirrors on satellites to reflect sunlight onto Earth, potentially illuminating areas after dark (up to 3 miles) with 0.8–2.3 lux, and plans a prototype Earendil-1 to test the concept. They argue it could aid disaster zones, extended work hours, farming, or reduced city lighting at a cost of about $5,000 per hour per mirror and possible revenue shares with solar farms. However, astronomers and DarkSky International warn it would pollute the night sky, interfere with telescopes, increase space debris and collision risks, and most importantly, it awaits FCC approval before launch. If realized, it could fundamentally alter how we view the night sky.