Reflect Orbital has received FCC approval to launch its Eärendil-1 demonstration satellite, which features 18-meter mirrors designed to reflect sunlight to specific locations on Earth. While the company aims to sell sunlight on demand for industries like solar energy and construction, the project faces significant criticism from the astronomical community.
FCC Regulatory Approval and the Eärendil-1 Mission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted Reflect Orbital permission to operate radio equipment for its Eärendil-1 satellite, a move that clears a major regulatory hurdle for the startup. The decision centers on the agency’s role as a communications regulator; the FCC determined that the physical mirror technology itself falls outside its jurisdiction, as the agency primarily regulates communications spectrum.
The Eärendil-1 satellite is scheduled to operate in a near-polar orbit approximately 625 kilometers (388 miles) above the Earth. Once deployed, the spacecraft will unfurl four aluminized Mylar reflectors, creating a total surface area of 324 square meters. The demonstration’s primary goal is to test the company’s ability to precisely aim a beam of sunlight—roughly five kilometers wide—onto specific ground locations.
Reflect Orbital’s Commercial Goals vs. Scientific Concerns
However, the project has drawn sharp rebukes from the scientific community. Astronomers warn that a full constellation of thousands of such satellites could severely disrupt ground-based observations. The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has explicitly cautioned that Reflect Orbital’s deployment could increase background sky brightness at its facilities by a factor of three to four, effectively limiting the ability of telescopes to detect faint celestial objects.
Astronomical and Environmental Opposition
The concerns extend beyond just light pollution. Tony Tyson, chief scientist of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, characterized the proposal as even crazier
than existing satellite constellations like Starlink. Critics argue that the mirrors could become the brightest artificial objects in orbit, creating persistent bright trails across astronomical images.
Environmental advocates have also raised alarms regarding the impact of artificial light on nocturnal ecosystems. Researchers have noted that artificially extending daytime could disrupt the day-and-night cycles that the biology of living beings — from plants and animals to humans — rely on. Furthermore, there are broader questions regarding the ethics of a private company deciding when and where parts of the planet should be artificially illuminated.
Regulatory Limitations and Future Orbital Requirements
The FCC’s approval is limited in scope and does not authorize the company’s broader, long-term plans to deploy up to 50,000 satellites by 2035. Regarding the environmental and astronomical complaints, the FCC stated that such risks were outside its specific mandate, noting that it had no authority to block the project based on those concerns. The commission indicated that critics should engage with agencies like NASA or the EPA for issues related to space and atmospheric science.
To mitigate orbital debris concerns, Reflect Orbital is required to follow strict disposal protocols. The company must deorbit each satellite within 25 years of its mission end. While the startup insists its beams will be tightly controlled and can be angled away from Earth when not in use, the scientific community remains skeptical, noting the technical challenges of managing such a large-scale reflective array. Russia attempted similar experiments in the 1990s with its Znamya missions, which saw mixed results, including a failed deployment where the reflector became tangled.
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