Reflect Orbital, a California-based startup, is planning to launch thousands of mirrors into space to create a scenario where the sun never sets. The company believes that these mirrors can be used to capture renewable energy, but environmentalists have expressed concerns about the potential consequences of such an endeavor.
Reflect Orbital’s CEO, Ben Nowack, stated in an interview with The New York Times that their goal is to replace fossil fuels and power everything using “a spot of sunlight on demand with a constellation of in-space mirrors.” The company plans to deploy a prototype satellite equipped with a 60-foot mirror, pending approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Ultimately, Reflect Orbital aims to have 50,000 mirror satellites in orbit around the Earth by 2035.
However, experts have raised concerns about the impact of manipulating sunlight on the environment and biodiversity. Astronomer John Barentine warned that the intense beams reflected by these satellites, which are brighter than the full moon, could disrupt wildlife and have a broader impact through atmospheric scattering. There are also worries about potential light pollution, which could affect airplane pilots, astronomical observations, and circadian rhythms of humans, animals, and plants.
The brightness estimates suggest that these satellites could be visible to the naked eye, potentially outnumbering the stars in the night sky. Despite Reflect Orbital’s reassurances that the light from the mirrors can be contained within a specific spot and turned off quickly to avoid reaching the Earth, skepticism remains.
Notably, the FCC’s decision on whether to allow Reflect Orbital to launch these mirror satellites may not consider the environmental implications. The agency focuses on ensuring that spacecraft’s radio communications do not interfere with others and that the satellites are safely disposed of at the end of their operational lifetime.
Robert Massey from the Royal Astronomical Society expressed concerns that space mirrors could damage the natural landscape and destroy the value of the night sky as part of human heritage. He hopes that the FCC will reject Reflect Orbital’s plans.
These developments highlight the balancing act between harnessing renewable energy and safeguarding the environment and night sky.
