The Federal Communications Commission has granted Reflect Orbital permission to launch Eärendil-1, the first satellite designed to reflect sunlight onto specific locations on Earth at night. The Santa Monica-based startup's 18-meter space mirror could illuminate areas five to six kilometers in diameter, and the company plans to launch the experimental test mission this year.

Reflect Orbital's pitch is equal parts audacious and utilitarian: extend solar farm production hours, illuminate disaster zones for search-and-rescue teams, and provide light for critical infrastructure during emergencies. The company's long-term vision is even more ambitious — it envisions operating 50,000 such satellites by 2035, creating what would effectively be an on-demand artificial sunlight grid in low Earth orbit.

Not everyone is enthusiastic. Nearly 2,000 public comments flooded the FCC during the review process, including formal objections from the American Astronomical Society, DarkSky International, and the Royal Astronomical Society. The core concern: ground-based observatories already struggle with thousands of satellites streaking through telescope images. Adding reflective mirrors could dramatically worsen light pollution, interfere with astronomical research, and disrupt wildlife that depends on natural cycles of light and darkness. Researchers also flagged potential risks from reflected light flashes affecting aircraft pilots and drivers.

The FCC acknowledged these objections but limited its review to the narrow question of whether a single experimental satellite should be permitted. The agency concluded that Eärendil-1 is a limited-duration technology demonstration and declined to address astronomy concerns, stating they fell outside the scope of its authorization.

For now, it's one satellite, one test. But the precedent has been set. If the demonstration succeeds, the line between day and night may soon have a regulatory paper trail — and a growing fleet of orbiting mirrors.

Sources: WIRED, SpaceNews